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Philadelphia

    The church of Philadelphia is unique in the fact that it is the one church of all seven who didn't have any criticisms from Jesus. Their letter was more to encourage them to stay on the track they were already headed down. That is the goal for us all. We should strive to posses the qualities that the church in Philadelphia did.

    Even though the church in Philadelphia had "little strength," they still managed to follow God's word. Sometimes it's easy to convince ourselves that we are too tired to devote any time or effort to following Jesus. Maybe we don't think about it outright, but we believe it and therefore back away from Jesus and His community. The beauty of the Philadelphia church was that they pressed on even when they were weak and never denied Jesus in the hard times, as is tempting for us all. 

    The Lord brought those who came against Philadelphia to their feet. They admitted the truth and recognized His people for who they were. Jesus honored their endurance and perseverance so much, He protected them from the judgement of the world. The interpretation of this passage varies as Jesus is referencing His second coming to the earth, but what we can be sure of is that He promised His faithful followers that they would not have to go through the testing and trials that those of the world would around the time of His return. 

    We should all strive to be like the church in Philadelphia. They were blessed for their perseverance in all circumstances. Even when it feels impossible to carry on, we've got to. If we succeed in this, we will be highly blessed and favored for it in Jesus' sight. I can't think of anything better.

Revelation 3:8-12 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. 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.
“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. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. 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." (NLT)

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