KEPT

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Primary Text

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open: “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.” Revelations 3v7-11 (NLT)

One thing that the Lord says here is that there is going to come an hour of temptation, a time of great testing to try them that dwell on the earth. But He gave the message above to this Church that because they had kept His word of patience, He will also keep them. How faithful have you been to keeping the Word of His patience? Now is not the time to get offended at His Word. Now is the time to do whatsoever the Lord says to do – to hold fast to His Word and not let go. This Church had a little strength, yet, they persevered. What are you doing in this time before the hour of temptation comes? Before the floods come? Remember the parable of the wise man (who hears and does the word) and the foolish man (who hears but doesn’t do the word); when the storm came, the wise man’s house stood while that of the foolish fell  (Matthew 7v24-27). I also recall the word our Lord Jesus told Peter when He went with him and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and they kept falling asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (Matthew 26v40-41, NLT).

Prayer

Father in the name of Jesus, we thank You so much for Your Word this day. We ask for the grace to keep Your Word and to persevere like the Church in Philadelphia, and ask that when the hour of temptation comes upon the world, You may keep us as well in Jesus name we pray, amen.