Thanks be to God for the Open Door into Eternal Salvation and Outwards to Kingdom Service. Revelation 3:7-8

Revelation 3:7-8 GOD’S WORD Translation

A Letter to the Church in Philadelphia

⁷ “To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia, write:

The one who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens ⌞a door⌟  that no one can shut, and who shuts ⌞a door⌟ that no one can open, says: ⁸ I know what you have done. See, I have opened a door in front of you that no one can shut. You only have a little strength, but you have paid attention to my word and have not denied my name.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In the book of Revelation, the key is a symbol of Christ’s authority and the door is a symbol of an opportunity.

So as John the Revelator writes to the Philadelphian church, Jesus is declaring Himself to be the holder of the only key that opens the door in to salvation and opens the door out to service in the Kingdom of God.

In other words, once we have walked through the narrow gate that leads to life, we discover that life to be a life of open heart to heart and hand to hand service.

The Philadelphians had entered the door into Christ’s salvation but now were being confronted by very lethal opposition and the threat of future tribulation.

So far, they had “not denied [Christ’s] name”—they had not shrunk from declaring the truth about their Lord and Savior in the city He had set them in.

Yet, recognizing that the storm clouds were now gathering, they may have been tempted to fall back, regroup, simply circle the wagons, sound the retreat, and decide that it was not a good time nor a safe or a healthy time for evangelism.

Considering all that confronted them, they easily could have concluded that such a life of service would need to wait for a bit more opportune moment.

Christ, however, urged them not to slow down or turn back from their calling.

The door was open; Christ had done it, died for it now they had to go through it!

While they would not be spared from suffering, He promised to uphold them when they faced it.

He told these hard-pressed believers that if they would boldly march through the door and be aggressively, assertively faithful to their calling, they would see converts, bear fruit, from among those who had opposed them (Revelation 3:9).

What about us?

This Thanksgiving, are we .01% prepared to give thanks to God and with open hearts and open hands both aggressively, assertively, walk through the door of kingdom opportunity, knowing that our Savior and King Jesus calls all people to saving faith through the words of those (You/Me) who refuse to deny His name?

Are we willing to say, “Lord Jesus Christ, I feel I have little strength, but just call upon my name, my hands, anywhere, anytime, anyone, I am so ready to speak”?

Pray that when hear the summons, see the opportunity for service, you meet the moment of opportunity, you will say and do something and serve someone.

Pray that you would be imaginative and creative, with one foot in the Bible and the other foot in the culture, so that you reveal the open door to salvation, speak the utter truth about Jesus in a way that connects with those who are listening.

If you do not shrink back but rather continue sharing the gospel imaginatively, humbly, sensitively, creatively, and above all – TRUTHFULLY then by the power of His Spirit and the might of His word, those who today see you as a #1 enemy may one day welcome the truth of the Gospel, become your brothers and sisters.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 The Message

16 ^1-2 Keep me safe, O God,
    I’ve run for dear life to you.
I say to God, “Be my Lord!”
    Without you, nothing makes sense.

³ And these God-chosen lives all around—
    what splendid friends they make!

⁴ Don’t just go shopping for a god.
    Gods are not for sale.
I swear I’ll never treat god-names
    like brand-names.

^5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only.
    And now I find I’m your choice!
You set me up with a house and yard.
    And then you made me your heir!

^7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
    is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
    I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

^9-10 I’m happy from the inside out,
    and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
    that’s not my destination!

¹¹ Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
    all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
    I’m on the right way.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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