3 more letters are sent to the 3 remaining churches; Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. The church in Sardis is the church we call the dead church. They became dead because they just wanted to get along with everyone else and the world. This is the church that doesn't want to step on toes, Jesus tells them; "Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.
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Revelation 3:2-3 NLT. This church is asleep on the wheel and Jesus threatens them with erasing their names from the book of life. A little adventure into the world had almost taken out the spark in them. The church in Philadelphia for me represents the church that would witness the rapture. This is the church with little strength but who have chosen to obey Jesus all the same. This is the church that must choose Jesus over the world, choose shame over being accepted. Because of their perseverance, Jesus says they will be protected from the hour of trial and testing, the tribulation, that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. To this church, Jesus says; "“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.
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Revelation 3:10-12 NLT. Lessons, hold on to what you have in the Lord and never compromise your faith. The final letter is sent to the church in Laodicea, I believe this is the church that is left behind at the rapture. This church will be the ones to live through the tribulation because they missed the rapture. They missed it because they were lukewarm; neither cold nor hot. They missed it because they felt they were rich and had everything. Jesus described them as; wretched, miserable, poor and naked. His advise; "So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.
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Revelation 3:18 NLT. Lessons, don't allow the lures of this world entrap you into a false sense of security, the errors of the Laodicean church. It is by far better to be either cold or hot, not neither. If you are cold, believers can rally around you to help, the Lord himself would revive you. If you are hot, you can keep others burning. Being lukewarm means you are neither, you are useless to yourself and the body of Christ. Lord have mercy. Wake up, don't sleep! The day of our salvation is so near.
