Revelation 3:7-13 Devotional Scripture - God Requires Faithfulness

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.  Revelation 3:7

In that day, the chief royal steward would have the large master key of the palace fastened to the shoulder of his tunic. The key was a picture of the authority of the chief steward. Jesus is the one with the key to both heaven and earth. He has the authority to open and shut doors of opportunity in our lives.

 

I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.   Revelation 3:8

 

Jesus only had words of praise for the church at Philadelphia. This church didn’t have the wrong teaching like some of the other churches and it wasn’t a dead church.  He was happy with this church.  They trusted in the Lord even in their weakness. They were weak enough to be strong in the Lord. They knew they really needed God's strength. They had not denied Christ's name.  They expressed their allegiance to Jesus, by the way they lived.

If you have even a little strength and you keep God’s word and you don’t deny His name than He has nothing but commendation for you. He doesn’t require that you have any power or strength.  He requires you to be faithful to His name and to keep His word. He will give you the strength you need when you need it. All He requires from us is to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, guard His word and be faithful to His word.

Because the Philadelphians had maintained God's truth by living it before men, Jesus promised to keep them from the hour of trial which is to come upon all who dwell on the earth. This is a promise of exemption from the Tribulation Period described in Revelation 6-19.

Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. 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 out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. 

Revelation 3:11-12

Pillars were pictures of strength and stability. Being a pillar in the community carries the thought of strength, honor, and permanent security.  The overcomer will have three names written on him: the name of God, the name of the New Jerusalem and the new name of the Lord Jesus.  These names are marks of identification because they show who we belong to. They are marks of intimacy, because it shows we are privileged to know Him in ways others are not.

 

Rev. 3:1-6 Devotional Scripture - Wake up and Strengthen What Remains

In the letter to the church at Sardis, Jesus introduces Himself as the one who gives the Holy Spirit to the churches. 

 

"These things say, He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: 'I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.'”   Revelation 3:1

 

Sardis was a church populated by people who did not have the life and power of the Holy Spirit inside of them. It was a busy church with many meetings and something going on all the time but it was dead church.   

"Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.  Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent."   Revelation 3:2-3a

 

Jesus doesn’t have any praise for this church. Instead, He jumps right into chastisement.  Sardis had a reputation as being a Christian church, but for the most part, it was populated by people who were simply playing church and were just going through the motions.  The works they did do were pointless and lifeless.  They didn’t believe the whole word of God.  Instead, they would pick and choose what they wanted to believe. Jesus told them to examine, protect and strengthen what they have, and to repent and hold fast to the truth, the whole truth of God’s word.

 

"Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you." Revelation 3:b-4.

 

Jesus is telling them and us to wake up!  If they continue to ignore His commands He will come upon them at a time completely unexpected by them.

There was a faithful remnant in Sardis and Jesus promised them they would walk with Him in white.  

 

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." Revelation 3:5.

 

 In those days, the cities wrote down the names of the citizens in a book until they died.  When they died they crossed out or erased their name.  Those who show by their lives that they have been truly born again will not be removed from the Book of Life. The overcomers were those whose righteous acts marked them as true believers.  Jesus says He will acknowledge their names openly before His Father and His angels.

Revelation 2:12-17 Devotional Scripture - Faithful to His Word

 

 

God is looking for people who will be faithful to His word. That is what he tells the church at Pergamum.  Jesus describes himself as,

 The One who has the sharp two-edged sword.    Revelation 2:12b

The word of God is the sword. Jesus will use it to confront this church.

I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith.      Revelation 2:13a

 Despite the fact that they lived in an evil city that persecuted Christians, they held fast to their faith in Jesus. These Christians were willing to face difficult days because they had experienced the presence of God in their day to day lives.  They believed God’s word was truth and they held fast to that truth.

These bold believers were doing a great job of withstanding attacks that came from outside—but they were weak when it came to threats that came from within. They tolerated people who taught falsehood and people who embraced wrong teachings in their fellowship.  Satan couldn't accomplish much by persecuting this church because many of them did hold fast to Jesus. So Satan tried to accomplish his goals by using deception and false teaching.

Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.   Revelation 2:16

This church was to repent because by allowing false teaching in the church they were not being faithful to the word of God.  If this church did do not repent Jesus would come quickly with judgment.

But to the overcomer, he who repents and does not participate in or permit these false teachings, a reward will be given to him. 

To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it .     Revelation 1:17b

They will receive hidden manna. The hidden manna is the sweet spiritual nourishment we receive as we commune with God.  It is hidden because it is only available to those who hold fast to Jesus. In those days, a white stone was given to those who were acquitted by a jury and a black stone to those who were condemned. White stones were also used as tickets for admission to public festivals.  In a sense Jesus is saying, “I have taken away your guilt.  I will accept you and adopt you into My family and I will give you a new name. Welcome to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”

Rev. 2:8-11 Devotional Scripture - Be Faithful Until Death

Jesus introduces himself to the church of Smyrna as:

The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life.

Revelation 2:8b

 Jesus chose this title to remind them that they serve the risen Lord who was victorious over death. Death could not hold Jesus, and it cannot hold His people.

I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.       

Revelation 2:9

Jesus told His people He knows the hardships that they are going through. He knows.  He sees. Sometimes in the midst of suffering we can think that God doesn’t care and we wonder why He is allowing this pain into our lives. We view suffering as our adversary but it is not our adversary it is designed to draw us closer to God.  You will never know that Jesus Christ is all you need until Jesus Christ is all you have.  

Jesus knows what they are going through but He doesn’t promise to deliver them.  He doesn’t say He is going to change anything. Instead He says,

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Revelation 2:10

He told them, “Some of you are going to die and I want one thing from you.  I want you to be faithful to the end.  I don’t want you to deny me.  I don’t want you to give up and I don’t want you to turn against me.” He tells them, “You can be faithful unil death because I am with you and I am in control.  I am the one who was dead and is alive and I promise you the minute that you pass through death’s door I will give you the crown of life.”

There is no rebuke for this church.  There is no rebuke because they were willing to suffer unto death for Jesus’ sake and when you are willing to do that you are purified. 

Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,  so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.  

1 Peter 4:1-2.

When we decide that we are not going to compromise the gospel of Jesus Christ, that we will no longer fool around with sin, dabbling in it or be enticed by it then we will no longer seek after our own flesh but we will seek the will of God.

Rev. 2:1-7 Devotional Scripture - Walk in His Redeeming Love

In Revelation 2–3, Jesus writes letters to seven churches. We can understand the state of each of the churches and our own walk with the Jesus by looking at what Jesus has to say to each church. Each letter represents Jesus in a role that is uniquely fitting for that particular church. The first letter he wrote was to the church at Ephesus.  In this letter Jesus introduces himself as:

He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.       Revelation 2:1

These images point to the authority of Jesus in the church and His immediate presence in the church. He holds these churches securely in His right hand.  In the same way, Jesus holds you securely in His righteous right hand

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.      Isaiah 41:10

He commends the church for their hard work and how they didn’t put up with false prophets. He applauds them for the way they endure, with patience, their trials and adversities and how they labored tirelessly but did not grow weary.  He has one rebuke for this church:

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Revelation 2:4

Everything looked great on the outside but on the inside there was no love within their heart. Jesus warned them to remember how they used to love Him and love others. He told them to repent, to change their attitude and their conduct and do the deeds they did at first.  He is saying to them, “Remember how you used to spend time with Me in My word? Remember when you would pray to Me and ask for My guidance and direction? Remember how you used to get together with other Christians and how excited you were to tell others about Jesus? Go back to doing that.”  If not, Jesus warns them:

 I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.

Revelation 2:5

If they didn’t repent, Jesus was going to remove their light and His presence. Jesus promised a reward for those who overcome:

To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.   Revelation 2:7

To those who overcome the coldness of their hearts and lack of love, they would see the Paradise of God. In addition to making it to heaven, they would see the effects in their own lives as they walk in Jesus’ redeeming love.