Door of Deliverance

We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is the very foundation of our Christian faith. God made a way for all mankind to be delivered from the wages of sin which the Bible tells us is death.

Romans 6:23 NLT

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I have devoted my life to tell people that Jesus is alive and that He loves them so much He died and took their place. God offers us a choice to be saved from hell and damnation. Even though we deserve the worse, God has given us His best so we are delivered and redeemed and set free from any power sin had on us. It is our choice to receive deliverance or not.

In this message I want to look at the “Door of Deliverance” God has placed before us, to step back and see how God delivered the Israelites from bondage as a foreshadowing of what Christ will do for us, and to see how it is the biggest and best door we could ever walk through. This is the last message on the “Doors” series. What a powerful ending of the open doors to look deeply at the Door of Deliverance God has provided each one of us.

What comes to your mind when you think of the word deliverance? I am sure it conjures up many thoughts.

Psalm 32:7 KJV

“Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah”

God is our hiding place. As a believer no matter what we are going through, no matter what we have done, we can hide in Him. Songs of deliverance is a powerful thought because this is exactly what God does for us as we hide in Him; He delivers us from our trouble. Remember last weeks message; Door of Hope? God places a door of hope in the middle of the Valley of Achor (trouble) [Hosea 2:15]. Right in the middle of our struggles God will open up a door of hope for you.

The word deliverance in this passage means “escape” [pallet (pal-late) Strongs Hebrew and Greek Definitions H6405] and when you bring that word back to the Hebrew primitive root it expands to mean; “out, that is, escape; causatively to deliver: carry away safe, deliver, (cause to) escape” (H6403).

We can escape death and an eternity in hell all by receiving what Christ did on the cross for us. That is first and foremost the biggest door of deliverance God has provided for each of us. I can’t think of any worse trouble then spending my eternal future burning in hell. Remember what the Bible says is true; there is a God, a heaven, a devil, and a fiery hell.

Looking at the word deliverance further:

Joel 2:32 KJV

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”

The word delivered (malat) is a primitive root (H4422) and is translated; “to be smooth, to escape; to release or rescue, emit sparks, save speedily and surely.”

Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered! This is a promise. We have a deliverer Who is ready and willing to come and rescue us and smoothly provide a way of escape from our troubles and bring us speedily and surely to a safe place. How many of you want to be safe? Me too! Turn to somebody and tell them “You are safe in Jesus!”

Luke 4:18 – 19 KJV

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Jesus read these words from the book of Isaiah in the Synagogue. All present marveled and looked intently at Him. It is what was prophesied in the Old Testament in Isaiah 61:1- 2. But when Jesus read this to the Chief Priests and Elders they didn’t like it. They kept the people in bondage by their rules and laws and rituals. How can this man be professing that the Spirit of the Lord is upon Him? This was the beginning of much hatred and rejection from the Religious rulers and eventually plotting to kill Jesus.

The word deliverance (aphesis pronounced af-es-is) in this passage of scripture gives an even better definition: “freedom, pardon, deliverance, forgiveness, liberty, remission (G649, from G863).

Jesus came to set the captives free from any enslavement. He wants us to walk in freedom because we have been forgiven of all the wrong we have done. Walking in freedom means to walk away from what held you captive. It means to walk in obedience to God and enjoy your life. You never go back to it again. Even our own fleshly, selfish desires can put us in prison and hold us captive, but once you have truly tasted freedom, you no longer want to go back to anything that put you into slavery in the first place.

You and I can be in bondage and not even realize it. Once we come out of slavery we realize how captive we really were. We can be entrapped by sin, un-forgiveness, bitterness,

haughty spirit, our past, or even our future if we allow it. God wants to deliver us all from that and much more today.

Jesus is our Passover Lamb of Deliverance

Did you know that the Passover is being celebrated right now with all Jewish communities. How is this important to this message? Looking at the Old Testament we can see an event that was extremely prophetic for our deliverance.

The Passover lamb was the animal God directed the Israelites to use as a sacrifice in Egypt on the night God struck down the firstborn sons of every household (Exodus 12:29). This was the final plague God issued against Pharaoh, and it led to Pharaoh releasing the Israelites from slavery (Exodus 11:1). After that fateful night, God instructed the Israelites to observe the Passover Feast as a lasting memorial (Exodus 12:14). How amazing they celebrated their deliverance even before they were delivered! 

God instructed every household of the Israelite people to select a year-old male lamb without defect (Exodus 12:5; cf. Leviticus 22:20-21). The head of the household was to slaughter the lamb at twilight, taking care that none of its bones were broken, and apply some of its blood to the tops and sides of the doorframe of the house. The lamb was to be roasted and eaten (Exodus 12:7-8). God also gave specific instructions as to how the Israelites were to eat the lamb, “with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand (Exodus 12:11; cf. Ephesians 6:14). In other words, they had to be ready to travel.

God said that when He saw the lamb’s blood on the doorframe of a house, He would “pass over” that home and not permit “the destroyer” (Exodus 12:23) to enter. Any home without the blood of the lamb would have their firstborn son struck down that night (Exodus 12: 12-13).

Exodus 12:13 NKJV

“…And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”

When I see the blood… When God saw the blood on the doors He didn’t kill the first born. Those who obeyed God were saved. Not only were they saved but this very act made for their freedom from slavery. They were set free from Pharaoh and Egypt to pursue the promise land.

This is what Christ did for us. The Bible tells us that Jesus is our passover lamb.

1 Cor. 5:7 NKJV

“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”

The Israelites were to find a lamb with no blemishes. No one else could have ever fulfilled being the Passover Lamb except Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist proclaimed who Jesus was stating He was the Lamb of God.

John 1:29 NKJV

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Jesus was crucified when the passover was observed. The ultimate Lamb was sacrificed for you and me to take away every sin, every wrong we have done, and took our place. He was like a lamb being led to the slaughter and didn’t speak a word (Matt. 27:14).

If it was me I would be telling everyone my innocence so I wouldn’t be killed. But Jesus remained silent. He remained silent for you and I. He knew why He came to earth. He fulfilled His assignment His Father gave Him. Touch someone and say, “He took, my place!”

Power in the blood

There is power in the Blood of Christ. Christ shed blood is the act of dying that leads to our redemption. Most of the time seeing blood makes you think of death, but in this powerful case it means LIFE!

Jesus is our Passover Lamb. Christ’s blood was spilt and applied for our salvation.

20 Things the Blood of Jesus Does*

1.      It remits sins (Matt. 26:28).

2.      It gives life to those who consume it (John 6:53).

3.      It causes us to dwell in Christ and He in us (John 6:56).

4.      It is the means by which Jesus purchased the church (Acts 20:28).

5.      It is the means by which Jesus becomes our atonement through faith (Rom. 3:25).

6.      It justifies us and saves us from wrath (Rom. 5:9).

7.      It redeems us (Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 5:9).

8.      It brings those who were far away from God near to Him (Eph. 2:13).

9.      It grants us the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:14).

10.    It brings peace and reconciliation to God (Col. 1:20).

11.    It has obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12).

12.    It cleanses our conscience from dead works to serve the living God (Heb. 9:14).

13.    It is the means by which we enter the most holy place with boldness (Heb. 10:19).

14.    It speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Heb. 12:24, NIV).

15.    It sanctifies us (Heb. 13:12).

16.    It makes us complete for every good work (Heb. 13:20-21, NKJV).

17.    It cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

18.    It bears witness in the earth along with the Spirit and the water (1 John 5:8, KJV).

19.    It is the means by which Jesus washes us (Rev. 1:5; 7:14).

20.    It is the means by which we overcome the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:11).

The amazing news is that Jesus didn’t stay dead! No, He rose from the dead and sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for you and I. We all need a Passover Lamb! He is our Door of Deliverance. Jesus took the keys of hell and death so that we might not die but live and spend eternity with Him.

Who needs a passover? We all do! We have “do-overs” but this is far greater then any do-over. We have a God who passes over our mess, mistakes, sins, wrong-doings, and washes us all clean and white as snow through His Son, Jesus Christ. This was Jehovah’s plan from the beginning of time. One can not argue over all the facts of how Jesus was our Passover Lamb. What about you? Have you asked Jesus to be your Passover Lamb yet? Don’t hesitate. Today is the day for your salvation, your deliverance as you walk through that open door God has provided for you.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I realize You did come to save me from all the wrong I have done. You truly are the Son of God to take away my sins. I ask you to be Lord of my life and forgive me of it all. Thank you for being my Passover Lamb. Thank you for choosing to go to the cross in my place. You paid it all and I owe you everything. From this day forward I will follow You all the days of my life. I want all of You so I give You all of me. I am free as I walk through Your Door of Deliverance today, Amen!

I rejoice in the Lord for the transformation in your heart today!

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.KrisBelfils.com

www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

www.KrisBelfils.WordPress.com

 

 

*(http://frankviola.org/2012/03/01/thebloodofjesus/)

2014 – Year Of The Open Door

We have just entered the threshold of 2014. A new year. A new beginning. But this new year is different from other years that have just begun. This new year will be full of open doors of opportunity for the church and for your individual life.

I have spoken on Doors of Distraction first because that is usually what happens. Too many distractions can prevent us from walking through the right doors and fulfilling our purpose. It is interesting how many people miss what God wants to do in and through them all because they get distracted with unnecessary things in their life.

I sense a fire in my spirit about this. We have to be committed and focused this year, more then any other year or we will miss opportunities that will bring out our full potential. Often people don’t think they have very much potential and never look beyond their abilities. In order for us to obtain the new, we have to look beyond where we are and have the courage and commitment to step out into the new door of opportunity available to us.

1 Corinthians 16:9 ESV

“For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

I have used this verse for every message in this “Doors” series. I want you to get it in your spirit. The open door is wide with possibilities. The sky is the limit!

Do you have a door of opportunity available to you? Yes you do! But you say, how? I don’t see it? That is the first and biggest issue you need to overcome. Many times the open door comes with adversaries.

I think we think opportunities will be so good and so amazing there won’t be any strife or hardship. Wrong! We will have to conquer the giants in the land. We will have to face our fears. We will have to let go of our past all in order to walk through the threshold of the new open door that awaits us.

There may be even people who oppose what you believe you are suppose to do for God.

God’s Word translation for 1 Cor. 16:9 states: “I have a great opportunity to do effective work here, although there are many people who oppose me.”

You will experience opposition when God opens a door of opportunity to you. It is a given. Many adversaries.

Adversaries means: “antikeimai (an-tik’-i-mahee) From G473 and G2749; to lie opposite, that is, be adverse to: – adversary, be contrary, oppose.”

There will be people who will be in contrary with you. They will say the exact opposite of what you are believing. They won’t be encouragers. People will question if you heard God or not. They will question your motives. They might speak lies about you and you have to deal with other people believing those lies. They may even think you are arrogant, but keep your focus on the open door and that God has called you to this threshold.

Do you have some people in your life who always oppose you? Maybe you have even walked through the threshold of your open door of opportunity and they are right there being a naysayer.  Remember that naysayers come when you least expect it and from the least likely source.

I have experienced many naysayers in my life. People who were once for me and for what God was doing in and through me and then something changed in them. Be it a small mindset of how they viewed me or what God wanted to do, or even jealously, still they changed and started to oppose the move of God in my life.

Rejection! It hurts, especially when it comes from someone who was a close friend or relative. What will you do with rejection? There has to come a time in your life where you separate how you feel from what you are called to do. What I mean is if we allow our emotions to rule us during times of opposition we will forfeit victory.

Our emotions will lead us down a rabbit trail. Emotions are fickle. They are real and can overpower your ability to act or take action. Many times I have to push down my hurt or anger so I can accomplish what God required of me. If we don’t conquer our emotions, especially when it comes to opposition, we won’t walk through the door of opportunity, let alone fulfill and accomplish what the open door contained.

Let’s look at that verse in the Modern King James Version.

1 Cor. 16:9 MKJV

“For a great and effective door opened to me, and many are opposing.”

“For a great and effective door opened…” It wasn’t just a simple door or a small door, or a door that won’t have an effect. It was a great and effective door presented to Paul. When presented with such a huge opportunity to preach the gospel, Paul was eager to stay, but he also saw there were many people opposing it, especially coming from the religious leaders of his day.

Interesting the opposition opposed something godly. They opposed anything that had to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We shouldn’t find it strange when people oppose our reaching out to others for Christ, especially when that opposition can come from people within the church.

The enemy will bring division. He will use Christian against Christian. Be aware of this. Don’t fall into this trap. Realize your fellow Christian is on your team and don’t oppose them, but work with them to build the Kingdom of God. Too many times Christians get off track and decide their fellow Christian is the enemy. This is a lie! I don’t know how many times people have come against me, their Pastor, because they think I am ignorant of their matters or that they know better. This is rebellion. If you oppose someone who is your authority, you are in rebellion.

Repent and stay under the authority God has placed in your life. They are your covering that God has placed you under for your protection. Don’t fight it!!! Don’t give your authority figure a hard time with your rebellion. They have a heavy enough load to carry and don’t need you to dump more heaviness onto them by your rebellious attitude.

Galatians 6:10 KJV

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

Do good to your fellow Christian. Do good to your pastor and leaders. It will go well for you if you do. People are not your enemy. Fellow Christians are not your enemy. Learn to discern why you oppose another Christian. If the answer is fleshly, be real with yourself and stop the opposition. If someone opposes you who is in the faith, don’t start a fight with them, just trust God that He will complete what He started in both of you.

When you experience opposition don’t be intimidated. Be determined to walk through the “great effective door” in all the authority God has given you.

The word Door in this verse is an abundant opportunity for usefulness. The word “door” is used to show an occasion or an opportunity for doing something, anything of great effect. Again a door is the means by which we have entrance or access; and because the door is open, it means access is available right now! The opportunity is now!

Never ask God to open a door and then remain where you are. When God opens up an opportunity before you, and you know it is God as it lines up with His Word, take steps to walk through it and don’t hesitate. To hesitate is to take steps backward. To hesitate is to say, “I don’t know if I should do this.” Don’t allow the open door opportunity to pass you by all because you were scared or intimidated. Turn all that around and use it for your leverage to press in and to walk through the great open door before you.

Eph. 5:15 – 16 NIV

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

So be careful how you live. Be wise in how you live. Make the most of your life by making the most of every opportunity placed before you. God didn’t just create you to live and then to die. The in-between part is where we will be held accountable. I don’t know about you but I want God to say to me when my time is done on this earth; “Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into my rest!”

God has throughout history opened doors of opportunity to His people. I did not become the Pastor of Hope Fellowship because I was smart, or because of the degrees behind my name, or because someone voted me in. I became the Pastor of Hope Fellowship because God graciously opened the door and appointed me. He ordained me to become the Pastor. That is what Jeremiah 3:15 states: “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” If that’s not good enough for you, it was God opening the door to salvation by sending His only begotten Son to take away the sins of the world. We were not good enough, smart enough, rich enough, nor righteous enough. Yes my brothers and sisters, great things happen when God opens a door for you!

A door of opportunity is a chance to do something greater then yourself. How awesome is that? God has mandated this opportunity for you.

God is into opening doors for His people. He did it for the Apostle Paul, and He will do it for you. Remember that the number four means Door? Four is the value of the Hebrew letter Dalet:  ד.Dalet means door. The letter Dalet is the fourth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. 2014 is a year of  the open door. What will you do with the opportunities God brings your way?

Paul asked that God would open the door.

Colossians 4:3

“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.”

Again, never ask God to open a door and then remain where you are. Walk through the opportunity and watch what God does!

Did you know that God promises to open doors!

Matthew 7:7 – 8

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Are you knockin’? He will open the doors of provision. Doors of reconciliation. Doors of the second chance. Doors of salvation of souls. Doors of prosperity. Open doors for deliverance and breakthroughs! Open doors for revival.

In Acts 16 Paul and Silas being locked away deep in prison with chains after healing the demon possessed woman. We may say, “Why do I have to suffer? What did I do wrong?” Listen the enemy just wants to hate on the Children of God. You will come out in victory! Amen!

Acts 16:26 KJV

“And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”

Earthquake opened the doors. Sometimes the open door comes from a shaking in our life! Are you ready? Praise God for the shaking!

We will have challenges. We will have adversaries. We will have people oppose us. Just get your praise on like Paul and Silas did!

Rev. 3:8 KJV

“I know they works: behold, I set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it:”

We are going to go through these doors.  

Pray this prayer with me:

“Come Holy Spirit! I receive your anointing for this new year. I thank you for every open door you have placed before me! I will walk through the door. I will obtain what you have for me. You are bringing deliverance, healing, provision, reconciliation, and anything that I am lacking; you will provide. Adversaries will be defeated. You are making me be the head, and not the tail! Above only, and not beneath! Thank you for Your blessings Lord! Thank you for good health! Thank you for healing my body, my mind, and my spirit in Jesus name!”

Get ready! Get ready! Get Ready! Great open doors God will bring to you this year and be determined to walk through and fulfill what God has brought to you in Jesus Name!

Your sister,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.KrisBelfils.com

www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

www.KrisBelfils.wordpress.com

Doors

 

Doors! We all have them. We all have walked through them or we have shut them. In this new year God has given, we will be given open doors of opportunity. What will we do with them? I am amazed at how people can look at a door of opportunity and see it as a negativity. There are times when an open door can be beneficial for our life and then there are other times when an open door may take us in the wrong direction. How does one know if the open door is good or bad? When do we walk through the open door or when do we walk away from it?

Many questions right? In this new series of “Doors” I want to explore all these possibilities and more. God has been speaking to my heart about doors. How they give us access into places we may never have walked before, and how to discern what God’s will is regarding different doors.

Doors give us access. They take us from one area or realm to another.  Doors are much like gates in the Bible.

Door (Pethach – H6607) in the Hebrew means: “any gateway marking an entrance or exit from one place or state to another. (H6605 – Pathach) “A primitive root; to open wide; specifically to loosen, begin, plough, carve, appear, break forth, draw out, let go free, engraven, loose, opening, put off, ungird, unstop, have vent.” Strongs Hebrew and Greek Definitions

I love this Hebrew definition and bringing it down to the primitive root because it gives such a bigger enlightenment on the word “door.” Most of the time we think of it as an opening, entrance, or exit as the first Hebrew meaning has stated. But looking further we see such a bigger picture.

Looking at the primitive root we see that it is a wide open door and that it loosens and becomes a plough (cutting furrows in the soil and turning it over to prepare for the planting of seeds). The open door allows one to break forth and let go and be free with no one or thing stopping them. In other words, When God opens a door for you it opens up such big possibilities in so many directions and no man, nothing will close it.

In the book of Revelation Paul writes about the Faithful Church that when God opens a door no one will shut and when he shuts a door no man will open.

Revelation 3:8 NKJV

“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”

We can see that God is all powerful and when He opens a door before you, and you walk through it, no one will take it from you. It doesn’t matter if man approves of this door or not, it was given by God and designated for you. This is shouting ground because knowing God has birthed 2014 for you to walk in and has much prepared for you. Things that are beyond your comprehension. Things that will blow your mind.

The definition of the word door in dictionary.com means: “a movable, usually solid, barrier for opening and closing an entranceway, cupboard, cabinet, or the like, commonly turning on hinges or sliding in grooves, a doorway, any means of approach, admittance, or access, any gateway marking an entrance or exit from one place or state to another.”

Doors usually block entrances until they are opened. Have you been praying for open doors? I saw a picture on Facebook that read: “Until God opens the next door, praise Him in the hallway!” We praise God when we are waiting, and we praise God when the door is open and we can take action and walk through the threshold.

Doors cannot do us any good if we stay back and don’t walk through them. We can stand at the doorway and never enter into our promised land. We can stand at the doorway of the church and never enter, and therefore we would never receive what God has for us.

Abraham walked through the doorway of his tent and received a promise of a son being born to Sarah.

Read Genesis 18:1 – 3 

Looking at verse one we see that Abraham was sitting in the doorway of his tent probably to get shade as the tent itself was too hot and sultry at noonday. The shaded open front is often resorted to for the air that may be stirring.

Genesis 18:1 NKJV

“Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.”

He was at the threshold of his tent and the outside. The men who were passing by were outside. If Abraham would have stayed at the doorway I believe he would not have received the blessing that was about to be given him.

How often is that how we function today? We see and believe for a breakthrough yet we don’t take the extra effort to walk through the threshold of the open door. Maybe our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak?

This was an important decision for Abraham. He could have retreated back into his tent in fear for his safety. Three of them and only one of him. Fear, doubt, and disbelief can creep into our spirit and we miss out on what God has for us. Believe it or not we can create a door of fear just by believing the worse will happen. This stifles us and we retreat thinking the worse will happen.

Listen, God wouldn’t bring you to the threshold of your promise only to dash all hope in the bondage of fear. He wouldn’t cause defeat at this moment. That is not His way. But we have to do our part and walk through the open door!

Remember sitting in the doorway doesn’t get you to your promise land. No! Believing the land will come to you is not the answer either. I know because God spoke to me about a promise land He had for me. For years I would wait daily to see this promise land come to me. It doesn’t happen in the natural and it defiantly doesn’t happen in the spiritual either. We have to take action as we seek and pray for God’s direction.

Doorways, gates, thresholds, and passageways all have something in common: they give access from one realm to another, from one place to another.

Faith-filled people of God take bold action, which opens a gate and releases spiritual power. In other words, our boldness of faith in action will release and open the doors or gates God has for us this year!

Being bold is not being arrogant. It is taking risks and stepping out beyond what you know. It is allowing your faith to arise and walking in it!

I would rather be a water walker then a boat talker.

When we step through the open door God brings provision. Your faith is a catalos for God to move on your behalf. Faith pleases God. It will be credited to you as righteousness (Romans 4:3).

We can’t have the new when we are timid and fearful of it. Don’t be intimidated by the enemy (satan). Be bold as a lion and fearless as a lioness. Be ready to take action and this will open up the doors of opportunity in your life.

If a vision or promise is attainable by our own power it is usually not from God because we can do it in our own strength and wisdom. God gives bold, outrageous dreams to His people and it usually brings them to the threshold again and again. It is at the door or gate that our faith is tested. This is the place where either spiritual abortion or spiritual birthing happens. I know because I have experienced both.

I remember a time in my life when I had pretty much given up on my promise land. I was willing to give it up if that was what God wanted. Many times I tried to make it happen in my own strength and wisdom and spiritual abortion occurred. When I finally gave up what I thought should happen and was willing to do what ever God wanted me to do, that is when the breakthrough came. But it came in a form I was not ready for. The breakthrough came with pain and rejection from others. It came with letting go of what I knew and participated in for years. It was my comfort zone. When I came to the threshold of the new, not knowing what the future held, I decided to fight for it. When I did, I was rejected by many people. I stood up for what I believed for and never in my wildest dreams imagined I would be standing alone. But it was that very event that catapulted me through the doorway I came at many times before.

This crossing over required me to give up what was precious to me; my security and comfort, friends, family, and more. It was what I was holding onto and it was the very thing that was preventing me from crossing over to the other side. Crossing over can mean to let go of that which does not fit through the door with us. Are you willing to give up things or even people for what God has for you? Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting for you to divorce your spouse or quit your job. What I am saying is simply are you willing to let go of what you think you need for what God has for you?

It is at the door or threshold that we win or lose. We must break through intimidation, doubts, fears, discouragement, loneliness, or whatever else that is trying to prevent us from walking through the open door before us. The awesome thing we need to know is that God meets us when we step out in faith.

Jesus met Peter when he stepped out of the boat and He will meet us too as we step out. You see it is actually our stepping out that brings God’s provision. God gives us the grace to endure the moment we step and leap forward. His supernatural provision comes the moment we step out in faith.

This year be a person who is not intimidated of the unknown. If you are feeling depressed or uncertain know that it is all part of being at the threshold. It is decision time. Indecision can bring depression and stress. If we decide to stay where we are it is actually a decision to go backward and that is why depression comes. We feel trapped and hopeless. Be determined to step out and keep walking into the new open door that God has waiting for you.

2014 is a brand new year. Did you know that the number four means Door? Four is the value of the Hebrew letter dalet:  ד.Dalet means door.

“The letter Dalet is the fourth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. The letter Dalet is actually the source of the Greek letter Delta, as you can see by the similarities in the two letters’ names. The English letter “D” is derived from Dalet, as well. While the specific reason for the letter being named Dalet is not known, many believe it is because one of the letter’s predecessors (in even more ancient languages than the Hebrew language) looked like a door. In the Hebrew language, the word for “door” is “delet”.” (hebrewtoday.com)

Wow, what confirmation that 2014 will be the year of doors! To be honest I didn’t know that when I felt impressed to preach a new series on the word, “Door.” I just felt in my spirit that that is what God wanted for the first few months of January 2014. This is a God-ordained time. Let’s be wiling to walk through the doors God sets in front of us throughout this year. I am sure we all will be surprised at what lies in store.

“Be careful not to shut your soul’s door through doubt, when God has just opened it by His grace.” 

John Bunyan

I like that saying by John Bunyan. Don’t waist God’s open door by doubting yourself away from it.

There are many doors that we will be looking at during this series.

Door Series Titles:

Door of Fear

Door of Discouragement

Trap doors

Open doors

Behind closed doors

Door of Hope

Door of disobedience

Unexpected Doors

Miracle Doors

Knock and it will be opened

Miracle at your door

Sin At your door

Door of Hope

Closed Doors (What to do when faced with a closed door?)

Open Door of Opportunity

Open Door Church

Shut De Door Keep Out De Devil

Check Your Attitude at the Door

Beyond the Open Door

Unexpected Doors

These are possibilities of upcoming sermon messages. Things may change but get ready for some powerful words that will transform your life. Invite your friends so they don’t miss this open door of opportunity in their life too!

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?”

(Isaiah 43:19, NLT)

“It’s a new year, and God has something new in store for you! His plan for your life is not for you to reach one level and get stuck and stay there for 30 or 40 years. His plan is to increase you, open new doors before you, and take you places that you’ve never imagined. He has something big in your future, and He has something big in store for this year! He’s already planned out big breaks, big opportunities, and big ideas for you. You may have seen God’s goodness in the past, but you have not touched the surface of what God has for you in 2014! He is doing a new thing!”

~ Joel Osteen

Let me leave you with this verse:

John 10:9 AMP

“I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely], and will find pasture.”

Jesus is the Door or portal to be saved, delivered, and rescued. Walk through His open door and you will find green pastures and be fed spiritually, physically, financially, emotionally, and so much more. He is more than enough for any need you have.

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.KrisBelfils.com

www.HopeFellowshipSpokane.com

www.KrisBelfils.WordPress.com