To the Church in Smyrna
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
And, then he brought to mind this passage of scripture from Matthew 5:1-12 (NIV ’84):
The Beatitudes
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
And, he also brought this scripture to mind from Revelation 14:6-13 (NIV ’84):
Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
A second angel followed and said, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
My Understanding: These are the words, as recorded in Revelation 2, of the Lord Jesus Christ. He wrote them through John to the church, yet not just to the church in Smyrna, but to the church throughout history, which has suffered great persecution at the hands of those who hate true followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus knows the afflictions and the poverty of love associated with our relationships with mankind – such relationships as are spoken about in this passage of scripture, and other scriptures throughout the New Testament, where Jesus told us the things we must suffer in this life, and how we will be hated for our testimony for Jesus Christ. Yet, even in all of that, we are rich!
We are Rich!
Jesus Christ, God the Son, and the only Son of the Living God (see Jn. 3:16), left his throne in heaven, came to earth, took on human flesh (born of woman), humbled himself as a servant, suffered as we suffer, and was tempted as we are tempted, yet without sin. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He preached the good news of the kingdom of God to the people. He called them to repent of their sins, for the Kingdom of God is at hand (near), and for them to believe the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Mark 1:15 (NIV ’84): “The time has come,” he (Jesus Christ) said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Yet, they hated him because he told them the truth about their sins. They hated him, too, for claiming to be who he was and is – God their creator. They accused him of blasphemy. They accused him of not following the Sabbath because he healed people on the Sabbath, yet he answered them by telling them that he (God) is Lord of the Sabbath and that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man. They hated him because he did not follow all their traditions of men but rather he followed the rule of love and the spirit of the law which gives freedom to men, rather than the letter of the law which kills. So, Judas, one of his disciples, agreed to hand him over to the authorities. Jesus Christ was arrested and put on trial, although he had committed no crime. He was falsely accused. He was mocked, ridiculed, spat upon, beaten and then they hung him on a cross to die as though he was a common criminal.
When he died on the cross, he took upon himself the sins of the entire world. Our sins were thus crucified with him on that cross and they were buried with him, too, yet when he was resurrected back to life from the grave, he left our sins in the grave. Thus, he conquered sin in sinful man so that by God’s grace and through the faith he gives us (repentance and obedience) to believe on the name of Jesus Christ, we can be saved and set free from this body of sin and death. This is why we are rich! For those of us who have put our hope and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we know and understand that this world is not our home. We are just passing through. Our treasure is not comprised in the things of this world, for we look forward to a better place with our Lord in glory, and we long to be with our Lord forever, instead of longing for the things of this life, which will pass away.
Synagogue of Satan
Jesus Christ said he knows the slander of those who claim to be God’s children but are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. A synagogue is a place of worship and/or is a group of followers of a particular religion, in particular associated with the Jewish faith, yet Jesus said there is a Synagogue of Satan, i.e. a place of worship of Satan and a group of followers of Satan who get together to worship Satan, not God, though they claim to follow the One true God and/or even claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. As well, we are taught throughout the New Testament and are warned against those who infiltrate our ranks, pretending to be followers of Jesus Christ, and yet truly are followers of Satan. They come to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. Their characteristic traits are listed for us in several of the books of the New Testament – liars, manipulators, deceivers, mockers of truth, plotters of evil, filled with hatred, violence, envy, bitterness, rage, and anger; drunkards, swindlers, gossipers, slanderers, sexually immoral, decadent, and the like.
We are not to be afraid of what we will suffer at their hands. The devil will put some of us in prison to test us, and we will suffer persecution “for ten days.” The “ten days” may be literal or figurative. Most likely it is figurative as a determined, set, and limited amount of time which has a beginning and an end. It will not go on indefinitely, though it may feel like that when we are going through it. Yet, we must know that these things will take place to test our faith in Jesus Christ, so we must remain faithful to what we know and believe, even to the point of death, and Jesus will give us the crown of life. Amen! So be it! He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death, i.e. he who overcomes and remains faithful to the end will live for eternity with God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit.
We are Blessed
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (the humble and contrite), “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn” (weep, grieve and wail over sin), “for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek” (submissive to God and his will), “for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (truth, justice, mercy, holiness), “for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful” (compassionate, caring, loving – not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance), “for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart” (trustworthy, faithful to God), “for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers” (one who brings the peace and reconciliation of God to the world, i.e. those who preach the good news of the gospel), “for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness” (because of their faith and testimony for Jesus Christ and their stand against evil and for what is right in God’s eyes), “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (because of Jesus Christ). “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on” (Rev. 14:13 NIV ’84).
To My Beloved / An Original Work / November 14, 2011
Based off I Pet. 5:6-9; Eph. 6:10-20; Jms. 4:4-10
Be strong in the grace of Christ, and
Put on His full armor in your fight
Against the enemy of your souls,
And resist him with all your might.
Take up the shield of your faith within you.
Salvation’s helmet – you put it on.
Put on the belt of truth,
And walk in the Spirit,
And you’ll not be ashamed.
Love your Lord Jesus; call His Name.
Call on your Lord and Savior, Jesus, and
Make Him Lord and King of your hearts.
Obey all of His teachings He has given
To you to follow in all His ways.
Repent of your sins. Return to your God.
Follow Him where’er He leads you now.
Humble yourselves in full
Surrender to His will
For your lives today.
Bow before Him, and humbly pray.
Be strong in the grace of Christ, and
Obey your Lord in ev’rything, always
Keeping His teachings in your hearts near you.
Walk with Christ in ev’ry way.
Resist the devil. He will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and He’ll be near you.
Wash your hands you sinners
And double minded.
Weep and wail o’er sin.
With Christ, your new lives begin.
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