Philadelphia

(Revelation 3:7-13)  “"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. "'I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'”

This encouragement starts with a qualification of who God is and what He is capable of. Universally He is the head of all the churches and not the pastors or elders of a church; they hold an office and have been appointed by Him. They may stand in the gap for now but ultimately we will all stand before our King and give an account for what we have done with what He has given us.

When God sets His mind to something it cannot be thwarted. The beauty of who our God is rings true in my soul and we must take comfort in the fact that He is not like us but steadfast in all His deliberations. He is a God of His word. Praise His name! Men often promise the world but contracts are easily broken, however it is not so with God, it is impossible for Him to lie. I take so much security from this truth that it inspires me into action. For the Christian to really apprehend that if God is for us who can be against us must captivate our souls and it must energize us into action. The sooner this dawns upon the believer, life becomes far more triable, and we will identify that the Judge of the universe has forgiven us. “Jesus the one who died in my place is on my side, hallelujah! What do I have to fear? No wonder Paul was so bold with his lettering; “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39) 

I suppose the believers at Philadelphia (a city in Asia Minor) must have been fired with similar thoughts, they must have been gripped by their hope in Him and this would have over-shadowed the enemy’s onslaught from within other so called Christian circles; the pretend believers living outside of the Word of God; those who chose and amongst us still choose to twist the Word of God in a similar fashion to the way Satan twisted the words of God to Eve. But praise God they never shifted, they held on tight to the Lord Jesus and we must do the same. “Let God be true and every man a liar” if and when their opinions supersede what is written.

We must never forget that God opens and shuts doors in accordance with His will, His purposes will stand and for us to be the benefactors of His resolve we must align ourselves with His commands and the believers of this church were applauded for doing exactly that; “and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”

The table will eventually be turned and their reward will be this; “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and they will learn that I have loved you.” The encouragement I see here is that we must hold onto the Word of God, regardless on any outsider’s ambush, as it will pay dividends in its due season.

It is all about keeping God’s Word in tact with patient endurance; these believers were to be kept for the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world; “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.” They obviously had already past the test and therefore didn’t need to be re-tested. That is a beautiful thought as it penetrates my soul.

Their encouragement nears its end with this beautiful reminder attached; “I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” My thoughts have been taken to the parable of the ten virgins, five were wise and five were foolish, they are obviously amongst the wise and will be ready when their Master returns, will we be amongst that number? I trust so! If we learn from their example and follow suite it will most certainly end well for us. But we must pay careful instruction to God’s counsel and make it our own.

Endurance is called for and we must overcome; “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'” (Revelation 3:12-13)

To all the Christians abroad let the grace and peace of our great God abound in your hearts from here on in.

Signing off

Tyrone