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Revelation 3:20. “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.”

Every single time I hear the verse “I stand at the door at knock” I am immediately transported back in time to my paternal grandmother’s living room. She had a copy of Warner Sallman’s painting, Christ at Heart’s Door. I am sure I didn’t understand all that the artist meant for us to grasp at such a young age. Today, I wanted to delve a little deeper and uncover some treasures, truths and even terrors about that door to the heart and the rest of the scripture in that chapter. Open doors, open hearts…

Sallman painted Christ at Heart’s Door in the late 1940’s while working as a freelance artist and magazine illustrator in Chicago. Decades later, he was dubbed the “best known artist of the century” by the New York Times. But his initial popularity came from a painting he finished before this one, The Head of Christ.

It was finished in 1940 and soon beloved by many. The Salvation Army and the USO distributed copies of it in pocketsize to the U.S. soldiers. That same face of a loving Savior was also used in the painting of Jesus standing at the door. Of course Sallman didn’t know what Jesus looked like and neither do we. But because of His popular painting, this is the face so many of us see in our minds when we think of Jesus, whether we want to or not.

Many things about the painting of Jesus standing at the door are intriguing. You may notice there is no handle on the door on the outside. It must be opened from the INSIDE. Jesus will knock, He will pursue but He will never force His way into your heart and life. His is an open invitation, but if you don’t open the door He cannot come in!

Doors. We can open them, close them, choose whether to walk through them, ignore them all together, slam them, lock them or keep them ajar.

While I was on the island of Malta last month I was mesmerized by the doors there. Most homes give names to their homes with the most popular being St. Mary since this is a predominantly Catholic country.  I saw names such as Hortensia, Felicia, Ave Maria, St. Genevieve, Noe Noella, Silver Lining, Santa Verginella and Cornerstone. I thought I would share some of these beautiful entryways with you.

In this house below with the big palm tree, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie lived here while making their latest film. They have made other movies in Malta, such as Troy and Alexander and have been seen around the island many times.

That is the explanation of the scripture I have heard my entire life, that Jesus stands at the door of the heart of the sinner and knocks. We can certainly be blessed by the picture of Jesus wanting to come in to our hearts. But this verse is actually at the end of the charge to the Church in Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church. Here it is in its entirety:

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:  “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’” Revelation 3:14-22 NKJV.

This Church hasn’t even noticed that Jesus has left! That is terrifying to me! These are those who think they have need of nothing, but are actually wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Yet He reproves, corrects and invites them to come back to Him. All they have to do is HEAR HIS VOICE, OPEN THE DOOR and He will come back in.

Is this the story of your door, the door to your heart? Are you just overwhelmed with LIFE, busy making money, busy raising children, busy accumulating and building bigger barns that, even though you might not say it out loud, your heart is saying, “I don’t need God, I have it all together.”

Are you so busy that you haven’t even noticed that Jesus isn’t a vital part of your life; He isn’t even there?

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Whichever one describes us, however we have interpreted this verse, we all still need Jesus. He knocks for us. He pursues us. He LOVES us over and over again. He pushes through our darkness, through our pain and whether you have never known Him, or you have pushed Him aside, if you will open that door He will come in.

The coolest thing I found while studying these verses? It’s the first two verses in the next chapter:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and Onesat on the throne.” Revelation 4:1, 2 NKJV.

John was taken up into heaven and there he sees a DOOR. This is an OPEN DOOR in heaven. What was behind that OPEN DOOR?

ONE sat on the throne.

Friends, this is our Jesus, the One who overcame death, hell and the grave. He did it all for you, for me and for now? The DOOR is OPEN and He invites us in with forgiveness and salvation under Grace.

Someday the DOOR will be CLOSED for all eternity. Whatever you do, do not wait until it is too late.

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Sharing  with The Sunday Community, Sunday Stillness, Making your home sing, Good Morning Mondays, Living Proverbs 31, Sharing His Beauty, Amaze Me Monday. Modest Monday, Open hearts, open doors, Homemaking Linkup, A Little R & R, Wedded Wednesday, #RARA Linkup, Friendship Friday, Grace and Truth, Titus 2sday