Daily Bread 2011 - Revelation 3

To the Church in Philadelphia
7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 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.11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 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. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

What Does This Mean?
In Revelation 2, we see an example of church that had been faithful, and the apostle encourages them to “keep on keeping on”. Importantly he says that God has given them an “open door that no one can shut”. This is an amazing promise of God’s blessing upon this church, and the opening of a “spiritual door” for God to break through. God sees their hard work and faithfulness and promises them that their efforts are not in vain. Importantly, He will provide the open doors for breakthrough.

He has harsh words for the Jews who are teaching another doctrine calling them from the “synagogue of Satan”. These were those who distorting the gospel of grace towards their own ends. John also describes a crown that they will receive if they hold on are faithful to God’s word despite all the temptation around them. This is not the reward in the sense of earning one’s salvation, but the reward for being faithful to the end, that all who persevere and trust in Christ til the end will receive.

What Does This Mean For Us?
I really love this idea of the “open door”. In fact, there are churches called, “the Church of the Open Door” today. There are times in life where God shuts the door on a ministry. Paul was fond of saying in his missionary travels that God had shut the door in one area, but opened the door in another. We all know ministry can create weariness, but there are always glimpses of God’s kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven. These are the open doors that remind us that God is in charge and our labors will not be in vain.

Sometimes as we are laboring in the Vineyard we do not see what God is doing. Often there can be days, months, or years where we do not see the fruit of the harvest. But as we are faithful and as God provides the open door, there will be a harvest of God’s work and fruit of the work Holy Spirit. Where are you tempted to cave to the pressure around you? How do you detect/discern the open doors God has given you?

Jesus keep us faithful to the end we know that there is laid up for us a crown of glory that will never fade away. Amen.