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The Church in Philadelphia:

Some Bible scholars believe that the seven churches mentioned in the first chapter of the Book of Revelation refer to seven stages of world history, with Laodicea being the last stage before the Lord returns. They may be correct for all I know. I do notice that the last three churches, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea contain some exhortations that certainly apply today.

Let’s think for a moment about the Church in Philadelphia.

(4/5/2009) Notice that "Philadelphia" means "loving people." It seems to me that today there is quite a bit of emphasis on Christians being in unity. Does it seem that way to you? Sometimes, though, it is a physical unity rather than unity in Christ in God.

Notice the emphasis on "holy." I believe there is a great need today for God’s people to live a holy life. "Holiness" consists of the absence of unclean spirits, and closeness to God. Without holiness no one shall see the Lord, the Bible says.

"True" also is mentioned. The world today is one huge lie. Truth is scarce, even in the Christian churches. Our theology is mostly tradition, not Scripture.

The "key of David."

I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ((Isaiah 22:22)

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ( Matthew 16:19)

Christ is in control today. The world certainly is spiritually dark and growing darker each day. We Christians must keep in mind at all times that the Lord Jesus is in control. No matter how evil the government becomes, Christ and Christ alone can open and close the activities on the earth. Please keep this in mind.

If you are able to do something about the growing spiritual darkness, then do it prayerfully. But do not fret or worry about the increase of evil in our county. You will only harm yourself spiritually Rather, concentrate on that which is pure and lovely.

We Christians also, under the Lord Jesus, can be in control, but only as we flee from worldliness and the lusts of our sinful nature. Of special importance is that we count ourselves as dead to our own will and alive in the will of the Lord Jesus. Self-willed believers are of little use in the Kingdom of God.

The "Synagogue of Satan." There are people who call themselves "Christians," but they are not. The works of their father, Satan, they will do. The day will come when it is clear who is serving Christ and who is a liar.

Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honoured his name. (Malachi 3:16)

"They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession.

I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not." (Malachi 3:17,18) Then in Revelation 3:10:

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

Like all the other passages used to support the unscriptural "pre-tribulation rapture," the above verse is misunderstood.

The verse is a promise to those who have endured patiently while waiting for Christ to fulfil His Word to them. Christ says since you have guarded my Word so patiently, I will guard you from the hour of trial.

The hour of trial is not the Great Tribulation. The hour of trial is beginning now. It is a period when there is ready access to sin, such as pornography on the Internet, and painful results when an individual is seeking to serve Christ and practice righteousness. Christ will keep us from falling provided that we keep His commandments.

Christ’s way is not to remove us from the sin of the world, it is to protect us from Satan.

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. (John 17:15)

Notice how the following verse shows that the doctrine of "eternal security" is a lie.

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (Revelation 3:11)

The Lord cautions us to hold on to what we have gained so no one will take our crown. The truth is, when we first receive Christ we are lifted to the highest throne and given a crown. Our task then is to maintain our position in the Lord. If we do not, we can lose our crown, and even have our name blotted from the Book of Life as we saw concerning the Church in Sardis.

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. II Timothy 4:8)

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10)

If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (II Timothy 2:12)

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

My opinion is that the following verse is one of the most astounding promises in the entire Bible:

Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.

The promise is to the believer who lives victoriously in Christ, repenting when a sin is pointed out to Him, confessing and renouncing the sin, and drawing near to Christ that he may continue following Christ with a clean heart and hands.

He will become a pillar in the eternal house of God, an integral part of the living new Jerusalem. He never again will leave the city, meaning, he is the city and the city is wherever he is.

The name of God is on him, signifying that he always does God’s will. Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads (Revelation 14:1)

The name of the new Jerusalem is engraved on him because, as I said, he himself is the city. The name of the new Jerusalem is engraved on him because, as I said, he himself is the city. People will see that name and recognize He is the city of God.

And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. (Isaiah 61:6)

Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed." (Isaiah 61:9)

"I will write on him my new name." What the new name of Christ is I do not know. What the new name of the victorious saint is I do not know. I think the new name of Christ will include the idea that now He has a fullness in the form of His Body. Somehow His enlargement, His Church, will be included in His name.

As for the new name of the victorious saint, I believe it will summarize what he or she has become in the Lord. The American Indians used to give names to men who had accomplished some feat, such as "Deer slayer," or "Long Rifle."

We may observe in the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation the rise of the False Prophet and of the Antichrist. The False Prophet is the Christian who seeks the power of Christ, the Lamb, but does not submit to crucifixion. He is self-driven. The Antichrist is man endeavouring to be God.

The False Prophet is self-will in the religious realm. Antichrist is self-will in the political realm. The only manner in which we are going to stand in Christ, and help others to stand, in these days of the rise of the False Prophet and of Antichrist, is by "dying in the Lord." We simply must cease living according to our own ambitions and plans and seek the mind of Christ in all we do. If we do not, we will be drawn into sin even though we do not want to be. The powers arising in the world will lead us into sin against our will. Be warned!

From what we read in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation we might conclude that as we draw near the end of the Church Age, the self-driven Christians will support self-driven political leaders.

Note that it is the False Prophet, self-willed believers, who do great signs. They order the peoples of the earth to "set up an image in honour of the beast." This may mean that it will be deceived believers who encourage the nations to set up an image of gold, of money, in honour of the Antichrist world-system of worshiping money. I think this marriage of the self-driven believers and the self-willed political leaders will occur in the near future.

In any case, it is the False Prophet who forces everyone to receive man’s number on his right hand or on his forehead. Man’s number is 666. Six represents man in that man was made on the sixth day. Three represents God because of the three Members of the Godhead. Thus 666 is man seeking to be God. The mark on the right hand means the person does his own will, being his own god. The mark on his forehead means that he thinks according to the values and plans of the Antichrist world-system.

For six thousand years God has permitted man to be a "free moral agent," meaning he can follow his own judgments. When the Lord Jesus returns, there no longer will be such an abomination as a free moral agent. Every human being and angel, and if there be any other race, will be forced to do God’s will. It is the rule of a rod of iron.

We can see the condition of the world today. It is as corrupt as it is because people do what they believe to be best instead of asking God what they should do. This is an unnatural situation and is the reason for the abominations that are occurring.

There is no political, financial, or educational cure for the ills of the earth. They shall continue until we human beings, especially we Christians, consent to the doing of God’s will rather than our own.

I personally have determined to cheerfully do God’s will in every circumstance. I exhort you, dear reader, to join me in this determination.

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."


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