LETTER TO THE PHILADELPHIAN CHURCH II
MEMORISE: And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Matthew 24:12
READ: Revelation 3:11 -13
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
MESSAGE
Behold I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown
Revelation3:11
Jesus Christ said that it is possible for someone to take crown that was prepared for another person. It is possible for a Christian to have worked hard for God but lose the crown to someone else due to carelessness and not being watchful. I pray that this will not be your portion in Jesus' name.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Matthew 24:12-13
There is no medal for starting the race- It comes when you finish it. If you drop out of the race and God chooses someone else to finish it for you, the fellow will get all your medals. In the name of Jesus, nobody else will get the crown that l have been working for in the Kingdom of God all these years. I want to say like Paul: l have finished my race, l have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).
I heard a story about fifty Christians who were being tortured by soldiers. The soldiers took the Christians to a very cold lake, stripped them naked and told them to get into the water. The soldier then makes a bonfire beside the lake. Then told the Christians that whenever any of them was ready to deny Jesus, they could come out of the lake and warm themselves by the fire. The Christian resisted and at some point, they were close to death. Suddenly, fifty angels appeared with crown in their hands, and they were moving towards these Christians in the lake. The Christians could not see them. It was at that point that one of the Christians thought he could no longer resist the cold, so he denied Jesus and, as he was coming out of the lake, the angel who brought his crown was about to turn back to heaven when one of the soldiers who had seen the Angel turning back put off his own clothes and jumped into the lake, thereby claiming the crown but the other fellow had lost. I tell you my brethren from the depth of my heart, hold fast to the end so that no one else would take your crown.
KEY POINT
Hold fast to the end so that no one else would take your crown.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 50-54
HYMN 2: CONQUERORS AND OVERCOMERS NOW WE ARE
1 Conquerors and overcomers now are we,
Thro’ the precious blood of Christ we’ve victory,
If the Lord be for us, we can never fail;
Nothing ‘gainst his mighty pow’r can e’er prevail.
Refrain:
Conquerors are we, thro’ the blood, thro’ the blood;
God will give us victory, thro’ the blood, thro’ the blood,
Thro’ the Lamb for sinners slain,
Yet who lives and reigns again,
More than conquerors are we,
More than conquerors are we.
2 In the name of Israel’s God we’ll onward press,
Overcoming sin and all unrighteousness;
Not to us, but unto him the praise shall be,
For salvation and for blood-bought victory.
3 Unto him that overcometh shall be giv’n
Here to eat of hidden manna sent from heav’n;
Over yonder he the victor’s palm shall bear,
And a robe of white, and golden crown shall wear.
