A reality many choose to ignore

In the Bible there are certain depth of God’s word that are often neglected by the majority, however serious cautionary reminders of a faithful and loving Creator is there to guide us all. It is ofcource very different than the voice of condemnation heard at times by the accuser of the brethren. This is the awesome voice of the precious Holy Spirit in the exercise of the gift of conviction we spoke last Sunday.

The precious Holy Spirit is using the gift of God’s living word as a lamp onto our feet, that brings illumination to our daily walk in order to make us all walk in the light of His word to the end. Apostle Paul in the end of His journey of faith declared that he too needed to hear this voice so that he would keep his own faith till the end.Why do you think he had to mention such a radical thing? Keeping his own faith to the end. This gives us a reason to think. I have said recently many times and I am going to mention it again. After we are saved and have become born again why is our faith tested so much? And why is the enemy Satan still continuing to war with the saints? Now once again many say we war from a victory through Christ. Yes, but I still would say, why? Many times we are convinced by the word of the scripture and men in regards to the assurance of our salvation to the end, but then we come across other scriptures and the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, saying otherwise. These bring me to the message of tonight from the Book of Revelations chapter two. You see saints there are certain passages in the scripture that requires us to stop and meditate upon. Something many unfortunately either do not like or have the time to do now days.

In regards to the victory over death and grave we read many scriptures in the Bible, and some like the 1^stCorinthians the 15^th chapter are very direct and precise.

However we should not easily also neglect the ones that are placed there to caution us in regards to our precious gift received through God’s own atoning work of the cross.

The words of Rev. 2:8-11 are such that needs our in-depth attention to them.

Unfortunately modern Christianity taught in our generation has lost its truth to a large scale and has become a very popular message of self motivation. Ofcource I do not doubt the many occasions that the word is there to motivate us all, but that is only to peruse our faith unto completion and not to tickle our flesh and its harmful lust in a passionate pursuit of living a life as the gentiles do. To keep a healthy balance is what I mean tonight.

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write. These things says the First and the Last, who was dead and came to life;” “ I know your works, tribulations and poverty ( but you are rich), and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until 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 shall not be hurt by the second death.”

(Rev. 2:8-11)

In these few words here we have a lot to speak and we could in regards to our faith and its final outcome. Some words are very difficult to comprehend fully and that is why we need to study.

Smyrna was a poor, persecuted church located in a beautiful city of wealth and commercial greatness, with a large Jewish population. It could somehow be resembled to a church like ours in Los Angeles, where there is a large population of Jews also. Second city after New York City I believe.

The geographical location of this church reminds us of ours as I just mentioned. The way physical poverty of the fellow believers there too reminds me of our church. But the interesting notion made to this church was (But you are rich). You see they were very much like the saints in Macedonia (2 Cor. 8:2) or (2 Cor. 8:9), that Paul used to write about their extreme want, yet He called them spiritually rich.

I believe this was great that the Lord saw them in this way and not themselves, may the Lord say this about us one day.

They had many works of faith and tribulation and how they were blasphemed.

Now besides the tribulations they had gone through, which I trust was spiritual first and then physical, the Lord was warning them about more things coming their way. In His writings Apostle John says the angel of the Church needed to be told that more suffering was on their way, but in the midst of them He said to them do not be afraid, or fear not.

The Lord says the devil was about to throw some of them into prison, that they might have been tested and He told them they will have tribulation for ten days.

Polycarp their Bishop was faced his martyrdom in A.D. 155. These were real hard times for this group of genuine believers, yet the Lord was asking them to remain faithful through it all. You see some of their prison terms and tribulation was done through the devil in full acknowledgment of the Lord and that was to have their faith responses tested by God.

In this passage another important thing to notice is the specified time of severe persecution.

Ten days was a specific time of testing of their faith. This can mean God knowing our limits of tolerance will not allow the devil to mess around with us more than we could bear. But it is defiantly a predestined short time to make us Overcomers in this race set before us. This and the fact that the Lord says “Fear not” it is very interestingly amazing. This church is so much different than the Laodicean lukewarm church.  I trust their prior tribulations and testing’s too were a sign of their preparation for the great martyrdom that their bishop suffered in 155 A.D.

Yet in them all the crown of life promised to the faithful unto death grabs my attention.

This crown I read is according to its Greek translation a little different than other crowns men receive.

The “crown of life” (2:10). The crown here is stephanos in Greek, not the royal crown. The stephanos was the victory wreath or trophy awarded to the winner of the games. A Roman magistrate who performed well also received a stephanos at the end of his term of office. In like manner, Christians who serve Christ will receive the victor’s crown in that they conquer the world in Christ, the Lamb, and the victory is modeled in their faithful service to him. Apostle Paul too talked about this upon declaration of the finishing of his race of faith that he was looking unto receiving of this crown.

(1 Corinthians 9:24).

This I trust gave the saints in Smyrna a big measure of confidence in pursuing the end of their faith in an overcoming way, no matter what the cost might have been. I believe the same is today. I trust the Lord through His precious Spirit is telling us

The same thing. Ofcource none of us here in this church are suffering in the same physical measure as they in Smyrna did, yet few of us are tasting the small portions of their predicaments in different measures and dimensions, especially spiritually striving against sin. Ofcource not to the extent of shedding our physical blood yet.

However I feel the days are approaching where a set time will come for the church to go through the great tribulation and that would be the most significant testing of the faith ever any one has gone through in thehistory of the Church. Yes ofcource I know majority of the body of the Messiah wants to get out before it all happens.

But despite of all pre trib. teachings of these last days, God will do what He has planned to do and He does not have to be persuaded by men’s interpretations of His foreknowledged will.

He is God and He will do it.

And now the most controversial segment of our message and the reality many choose to ignore is hidden in the last verse. In the verse 11 we read the warning of the Lord to this faithful church. Here the lord says

“He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, he who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” This word second death is a very misunderstood and unpopular subject in Christian circles. In Revelations chapter 20 verse 5 too this second death is mentioned in regards to first and second resurrection, yet many teachers of the Bible see the second death only in regards to missing the born again experience by denying Christ’s salvation in this life.

However in Rev. 2:11 this is a very clear warning to the persecuted church of Smyrna. Now how can some of us be so dull to so many warnings of a patient and loving God in regards to such great salvation.