S Revelations 3
8 “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. 9 Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.
10 “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.
13 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
O - my observation is that Jesus is speaking to the church at Philadelphia because they are enduring the trials of the early Church in a honorable and credible way that is to be example by Churches even today. He is saying that he has open the door to eternal life and no one can take that away from the church but that he acknowledges the church operating in the world will be challenged and even have little strength to face the world, but with faith in who our God is and what his promises are we are able to face these challenges and not turn from God. In the history of God's people they frequently repented and return to God. But after some period of prosperity often came a period of adversity in which God's people would end up turning towards other Idols rather than turning towards God. Jesus is Praise of the Church of Philadelphia is merely saying you have not follow the old patterns of God's people and for that you are to be praised.
A- the application for me is to understand even in looking in my past recent trial and struggle that if anything the reason I feel favored today is because I stayed faithful and true to following Jesus despite the circumstances that surrounded me or the thoughts that filled my head. These thoughts were of fear and uncertainty and had me questioning my own faith in God. But rather than to capitulate and go the ways of the world I chose to endure and wait on the Lord. Many days were dark and I honestly thought they were my last days of holding on to God but each day he gave me the strength two to walk one more day. This is how we as Christians hard to live. We will face trials and distraction but we have already faced our biggest challenge which is our sin, that fights Jesus has one for us already. Now we are to walk through that Open Door knowing it will never be shut, knowing that we must simply trust and wait on the Lord in all seasons.
P-dear heavenly father I thank you Lord for this scripture and your message for me and for your people. I asked Lord that you would help me to apply it to my daily life. To help me store it in my heart and remember it when I face my next trial. Where my faith is tested and decisions need to be made as to which side of Eternity I plan on trusting in. I pray today that you would continue to guard my heart and mind with this knowledge that though I feel great and have lots of energy Lord that you would guard my heart and guard my mind to help me protect them from the influences of the world, the worries of the world, and the ways of the world.
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