In Revelation 2 and 3, John lists 7 churches of Asia Minor.
They are 7 real, historical churches that represent the 7 major church periods.

The last church is Laodicea - a good picture of the church period we are in now.
The lukewarm church -- the church that makes God vomit.

But right before Laodicea is the church of Philadelphia.

In Revelation 3:7, we can find the POWER of America.

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; Rev 3:7


And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia

Philadelphia.
That was the capital of the U.S. before Washington D.C.
Philadelphia.
That's where they signed the Declaration of Independence.
Philadelphia.
That's where they signed the Constitution.
Philadelphia.
That's where the Liberty Bell is.

In the early colonies, the Protestants persecuted the saints just like the church they had come out of, the Catholic church.
It was mostly Baptists being persecuted by the Puritans and the Congregationalists.

And it was the Baptists who fought the battle for religious liberty in this country.

SOUL LIBERTY

It was a bunch of Baptists who wrote up the Portsmouth Compact, the one they don't teach you about in history class.

It was a bunch of Baptists who established the first place in the history of the WORLD where true religious freedom was practiced.

It was a bunch of Baptists who fled to the Isle of Rhodes because of Religious persecution and founded there a haven of Religious liberty.

It was a Baptist minister by the name of John Leland who met with James Madison and, with a handshake, struck a deal with Madison to insure our Constitution would include a a Bill of Rights -- making our country unprecedented in the freedoms we enjoy.


"I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." Rev 3:8

The open door in America was that Bill of Rights.
The First Amendment in that Bill states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.

And, with that, God said,
"Go out and preach the TRUTH!
Nobody can stop you now!
Nobody can burn you at the stake over here."

We got something the world had never heard of before.
It was called freedom of speech.

"And by the way, print all the Bibles you want to print and get them out there without fear."
We've got something called freedom of the press.

I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it

The Bill of Rights.

The POWER of America came from the freedom of Religion.
It gave us access to TWO Scriptural truths.

1. Righteousness exalts a nation
2. I will bless those that bless thee.

Do you know how good we have it in this country?
NO country has it as good as us!

You know what's more amazing than how good we have it in America?
How little we think about it.

America, America, God shed His grace on thee.

An open door was set before America and no man could shut it.
Why?
Look at the end of verse 8
and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

God said, You keep my word, I'll keep your door open.
You mess with my word, Ill slam your door shut, and NO MAN will open it."

Righteousness exalts a nation.
Were not righteous anymore.

I will bless them that bless thee.
Were not blessing the Jew anymore.
The doors about to slam shut.

We stopped keeping His word.
We started messing with it and criticizing it and changing it.

Weve broken the deal for an open door.
So God is shutting the door.
The door is shutting on America.

See that door? Its almost closed.
The door for America is shutting.
We cannot look for an open door for America.

So what do we do?
Look at the very next chapter, Rev 4:1

"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven:" Rev 4:1

God is shutting the door that was wide open in America.

But another one will open soon.
In heaven.

The Last Trump shall sound!

"COME UP HITHER!!!!"

Once you can't go forward to preach anymore, then its time to go up.

When God completely shuts this door, he'll open that one.