Know the Knock

The other day I was home in the middle of the afternoon and for the first?time since we have been on the ranch, I heard a door knock. Well to my surprise, it was Lucy our dog, laying near the door and her tail wagging was hitting the door, that was what I had heard. I remembered that there are several scriptures and illustrations in the Bible about knocking and locked doors, With the most familiar being, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me. The knock that I want to talk about is the knocking the Holy Ghost does on our heart’s door. We all know the “knock, knock” of the Lord. And it’s no joke. In the world, they would rather call it our “conscience”. The truth is, it’s the knuckles of God rapping, tapping, knocking, and sometimes pounding upon the door of our heart with conviction. The knock of the Lord began early in my childhood growing up with my Dad being a preacher. But learning how to ignore God’s knocks began in my teenage on into early adulthood when I thought my way would work. Then came the day when I heard the Gospel message for the first time, after the 1000th time and I felt the heavy hand of the Lord knocking hard upon the door of my heart. When we finally acknowledge the knock of God and open the door, He comes in, and through forgiveness of our sins, through His precious blood, we begin the have fellowship with Him which has been His plan all along!. However, I want to touch on the knock of the Holy Ghost after our salvation experience. You see, He keeps knocking. Jesus our great Shepherd, He just never stops knocking! I know my worst fear in this life would be No more knocks, No more knocking, to be left alone on my own, Have you ever thought about that? What would that feel like, He is not at the door anymore? The Bible says, Jesus told the people of Jerusalem in Luke19: 42- 44, what happens to the people who do not answer or do not know the time of God’s visitation, they would suffer horribly. In essence, He was saying, you heard the knock-knocking, but refused to get up and answer the door! Peter echoes this principle 1Peter2:21, when he speaks of the lost having a day of God’s visitation. God’s knocks are not just reserved for when we do wrong, but most times, it’s when He is wanting to move us to pray or He is wanting us to speak to someone about Him, or He is wanting to do a new work in our lives. Remember, God’s knocks are no joke. He is serious. He loves us and wants to make wonderful changes in our lives. What benefits we inherit and receive in exchange for responding to the knock, not only answering the door, but opening is free and eternal. Just to name a few, Jesus has disarmed all demonic powers and authorities; He has declawed the roaring lion. Satan has no power over our life, except that which we choose to give him. Jesus needs do nothing more to set us free. Jesus said in John 8: 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Jesus has set us free! We have been completely released from the bondage of sin and death. Now it is up to us to stay free. Jesus has done all it will take to set us free. In closing, I remember my dad telling me once when I had severely disobeyed him, God's knuckles must be sore and by the way, God has not called me to be a judge, prosecutor or prison guard Jon Mark, but to proclaim freedom for the prisoner! Unfortunately, I don’t hold the key to your spiritual prison door. Really, no key is needed because the doors to your? prison have been unlocked; freedom has been given to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. Jon mark, you still remain in a prison cell because you believe the doors are still locked. Just like the hymn we sing in church, "the Saviour is waiting" .? What an impact that one way conversation and precious hymn has had on my life and still does to this day. Read the words of the song below and Don't ignore those knocks. Make it a great?day for yourself and someone else as we live to love and share Jesus with others.

The Savior is waiting to enter your heart Why don't you let Him come in There's nothing in this world to keep you apart What is your answer to Him

Time after time He has waited before And now He is waiting again To see if you're willing to open the door Oh how He wants to come in

If you'll take one step toward the Savior, my friend You'll find His arms open wide Receive Him, and all of your darkness will end Within your heart He'll abide

Time after time He has waited before And now He is waiting again To see if you're willing to open the door Oh how He wants to come in

Oh how He wants to come in.

Jeremiah 29: 10- 14? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?I?will visit you…I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will be able to call upon Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found of you.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Revelation 3:20? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Behold, I stand at the door, and knock, If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me.