“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and 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 from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Comment: It was not as if they weren’t living in hard times.There were members of the synagogue of Satan present and you can bet your bottom dollar that they would have been trying very hard to destroy the testimony of this little church. So what joy to hear the Master say ‘and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name’. Gently they were warned that they hadn’t yet crossed the finishing line! Jesus added ‘Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.‘ For our soldiers, killed in battle, we sing ‘Age shall not weary them or the years condemn! For those of us not yet slain in the battle for our faith we have to face the problems of age and weariness but the Promise of our Master is that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Let us wave the flag high and continue the battle until we are called ‘home’.
Prayer: As You Father the spirit is willing but our flesh is weak. Help us to cling faithfully to Your Presence and Your Promises until You call us ‘home’.
As I read it! 