I READ: Revelation 3: 7 – 13
The church in Philadelphia was said to be The Faithful Church. Unlike the five other churches, there is not even one objection from the Lord with regard to this church. On the contrary, the Lord was so pleased with this church that He granted them the keys of David – that is, the power to “open” and to “close” (Rev. 3:7). This church received power to open the gates of heaven so that blessings could be poured out in abundance, as well as the power to “close” the works of the devil over God’s church, over the nations, and so on. This church’s faithfulness to the Lord was reflected in the actions of those who never denied His name while also obeying His word (Rev. 3:8). In Matthew 7:21-23, the Lord Jesus Himself taught that what most pleased the Lord was not how wonderfully we served the Lord, prophesied, casted out demons, or performed miracles in His name. If we do not do the will of our Father in heaven – or in other words, if we do not obey His word – then the Lord will not be pleased with anything that we do for Him. The Lord wills that His church in the end days does not only hear His word, but also does it. A lesson we can learn from is from looking at the lives of the Scribes and Pharisees. Although they were masters of the law of God, they did not live it out in their daily lives. Even though they appeared to be so “busy” serving the Lord in the synagogue, the Lord was not pleased with them (Mat. 23:2-3).
I DECLARE: James 2: 24: You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
I DO: I will be more excited to meditate on God’s word, to declare it, and to carry it out in my life.
I PRAY: Today I will pray and offer up my whole life, my family, my ministry, and my work before the Lord.