Staying in Love with Jesus 

I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. (Revelation 3:8)  
  
One of the best takeaways we can learn from the church at Philadelphia (in Revelation Chapter 3) is that we must stay focused on Christ, no matter what tough circumstances come our way.   
  
This was a church that apparently endured opposition from the outside, but stayed focused on the Word; they did not deny the name of Jesus. The key to staying on target is staying in love with Christ.   
  
You need several things to stay in love with Jesus:  
  
Active prayer life  
You need a prayer life. Don’t just pray when things are tough. You need to be praying all of the time. Be in conversation with God all of the time. That is important.   
  
Study Word of God  
You need Bible study. Just like the church at Philadelphia stayed in the Word, you need to stay in the Word. You need to be involved in a small group where you study the Word of God. In addition, you need to be studying the Word of God yourself.  
  
Fellowship with other believers  
You also need fellowship with other believers. I am very concerned about the future of Christianity in the days to come. We have had a year of separation from other believers. You could study the Word of God on your own, and that's great. You can have a prayer life and that's wonderful, but you need fellowship with other believers. You need it for accountability, encouragement, connection and partnership for service.   
  
Service – Be involved in ministry  
You also need to be involved in ministry. God does not just want you to talk to Him and study His Word. He wants you to be involved in service. He wants you to be doing things for the Kingdom of God. “Many Christians just get saved, stay seated, and turn sour.” You can avoid turning sour by being involved in ministry.   
  
Share your faith  
To stay in love with Jesus, you also need to share your faith. Have you ever thought that service and doing things in ministry give you the opportunity to share your faith? They provide a great platform for you to stand and deliver, and tell people the hope that is for them in Christ.   
  
As believers, many of us think that the key to Christian maturity is just showing up. There is much more to it than that. To really progress in our Christian life, we need to be in prayer, Bible study, fellowship with other believers, service, and sharing our faith. In the lives of other people and churches, God opens doors to accomplish what He wants through them.