Philadelphia here I come

I once stopped over this great city called Philadelphia. It has a rich history. William Penn named the city Philadelphia, which is Greek for brotherly love (from philos, "love" or "friendship", and adelphos, "brother"). As a Quaker, Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely. This tolerance, far more than afforded by most other colonies, led to better relations with the local Native tribes and fostered Philadelphia's rapid growth into America's most important city. (Source: Wikipedia). This name was inspired by the church of Philadelphia mentioned in this chapter.

Revelation 3:7-8

“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”: 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.

This chapter had mentions of the church in Sardis and Laodicea, but the church in Philadelphia had the best proclamation by God. Are you following God in the way you should? Not lukewarm. Not dead. Not accepting false doctrines and worshiping idols. William Penn may have had great dreams for Philadelphia, and prayerfully it will reflect the church mentioned in the bible. Are the rest of us operating in like manner? If not, it is time to reread Matthew chapters 5 through 7. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I am going to do that today.

For those of you that are not bible readers, be assured that it is the most important book that you can ever read in your life. Do not settle for what others say about God. Let God Himself speak to you through this book that has been read by billions of people for thousands of years. More people have read this book than any other book, and longer time than any other manuscript. If you do not have a bible, try out the many online websites like biblegateway.com and tecartabible.com.

Father, I want to be the Philadelphia church where we have a true priestly position experiencing and demonstrating Your love as a result of our position with you.

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