I want to try something unique for today's prophecy update. It's kind of a unique approach

having to do with Bible prophecy as it relates to the Christian and the church.

I'm doing this because the Lord ministered to me this last week

concerning the letters that Jesus had the apostle, John, write to the churches there

in the book of Revelation. It's in chapters

two and three. There are seven literal churches. I'm not going to take the time today. Maybe

this is another topic for another time. But there were seven literal churches close in proximity

on a postal route that Jesus himself dictated to John on the

island of Patmos in the year about 95 AD and these letters were sent to these churches.

It's in modern day Turkey today by the way. You can go visit the ruins of

these cities where these literal churches were. Here's what I'm hoping to accomplish in taking

this unique approach. And I'm including myself. I always try to. I hope you know that, but I'm hoping that by doing this,

we will examine ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts concerning these things.

I want to start with the letter to the church in Philadelphia,

the church of Philadelphia. This is not the church in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is actually a

Greek word that comes from the Greek word love. In the Greek language, a much bigger language than English. They have four

words for love. We only have one. The four words are philia, agape, eros, and storegay. Agapé is that

unconditional love. Eros is where we get our English word erotic. It's a sexual, sensual love. Philea is a brotherly love. That's why Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. And Storge is the love that a parent has for a child, its natural affection or the love that a child has for a parent. So in the Greek they had a different

words for different kinds of love. So this was the Church of Philadelphia. This was a loving church.

And I want to just read two verses out of this letter. By the way, all seven letters end the same way. Very interestingly. Let him who hath an ear, I have two. So do you. Let him who hath an ear hear hear what the spirit says to the churches. So what did the spirit of God say to this church there

in Philadelphia? Well, the Lord commends them. And says, verse 10, because you have kept my command to

persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of

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