You cant associated with us in these festivities to our gods. Christians were viewed as antisocial elitists for refusing to participate in it. He is with us fully. She and her husband have five childrenthree who have already flown the coop and two adopted teens still roosting at homeplus two adorable grands who add immeasurable joy and laughter to the whole flock. Rest in His presence. I lived in mainland China for four years and during those four years I studied the Chinese language of Mandarin. The name of Smyrna was equated with myrrh. Trust me. He is like a lion prowling around looking for someone he could use. When fear grips the human heart, and our very life is threatened, nothing can bring tranquility like faith in Him who is both the first and the last.3. If I am afraid that means I am not trusting God. Some suffered the Roman crucifixion, a horrible way to die. Whether it is because of our faith or whether it is because He wants to deepen our faith, we will suffer. Maybe someone you love is hurting. Do not be afraid. My exhortation to you on this one is to be ready, to be ready for the suffering that will come into your life. The pressure came with these students. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. Facing Life Successfully and Effectively Pt 1, Facing Life Successfully and Effectively Pt 2, The Power of Motive and Faith in God's Word, Your Faith in Jesus the Christ: the Work of God, Your Faith in Jesus the Christ: the Work of God Pt 2, The Challenges of Your Faith In God's Written Word, God Created Marriage as a Foundational Institution, Populating the Earth Wasn't the Primary Purpose of Marriage, Citizenship Pt 2--Becoming a Kingdom Citizen, Citizenship Pt 3-The Concept of Dual Citizenship, Citizenship Pt 4: The Invisible Citizenship, The Kingdom Versus the Government of Man Pt 2, The Birth of the Kingdom, The Spirit of Dominion, Ruling the Visible World From the Invisible Realm, We Were Born to Rule, But Not Over Each Other, Jesus' Assignment Was to Restore the Kingdom, The Kingdom--Preached In Word, Demonstrated In Power, Understanding Principles of Kingdom Culture, Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Culture Pt 1, Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Culture Pt 2, Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Culture Pt 3, Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 1, Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 2, Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 3, Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 4, The Kingdom: Social and Economic Differences, Kingdom Culture vs The Culture of Christianity, Change Is Inevitable When Obeying the King's Word, Faith in the Written Word and Hardship Pt 1, Faith In the Written Word and Hardship Pt 2, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 1, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 2, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 3, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 4, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 5, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 6, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 7, The Principles for the Nature of Your Purpose, The Lord Provides for His Purpose, Not for Our Plans Pt1, The Lord Provides for His Purpose, Not for Our Plans Pt 2, It's Imperative That One Knows Their Purpose, Your Purpose is Being Accomplished Through Christ. The substance was used to make fragrant perfumes and anointing oils (Exodus 30:23) and was used in ancient burial preparations (John 19:39). Editor's Note: a lightly edited transcription of the attached audio file will be found at the end of this originally written daily study guide. My time came to rotate through that lab. Why is it that when we seek to run "His" church "our" way, we embarrass and dishonor Him and His Way? I do not think I can be like You. I went into that lab and got there before she did. You cannot do them at the same time. Finally, Jesus warns His people to expect more suffering, persecution, and testing. They were Jews by race and that is it. Faith and fear are opposites. Today, we look at the letter to the church at Smyrna, a church known for suffering. It was celebrated for its schools of science and medicine, and for its handsome buildings. (NASB). What it tells us about Smyrna and its Christians has big implications for us today. The Essential Inductive Questions (for more Inductive questions see Inductive Bible Study): 1. According to Revelation 1:11, on the Greek island of Patmos, Jesus Christ instructs John of Patmos to: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven Churches: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." The churches in this context refers to the community or local congregations of Christians living . He knows exactly what you are going through. Throughout the history of the Church the more that the Church has been persecuted the greater its purity and strength. They were doing Satans will and not Gods. What was Jesus message to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation? Faith banishes fear.6. 2. He is the One who overcame life and death for our benefit, and when we seek to run His church our way, we embarrass and dishonor Him and His Way. It would protect them. But every born-again Christian is called to die to the things of this world (Galatians 2:20, Luke 9:23), become a bondservant of Christ (1 Corinthians 7:22; Ephesians 6:6; 2 Timothy 2:24), and to consider all earthly things loss compared to the worth of knowing Jesus as Lord (Philippians 3:8). May I be accepted this day before you as an acceptable sacrifice. They lit the fire, but strangely enough, the wind blew the fire away from his body so it would not touch him. When we are faithful, we become beacons of hope and encouragement to others, too. Be thankful that He did this that He died for us. Kingdom Citizen, not "Christian"--What's In a Name? You will not worship the Roman emperor, then we will make you! The use of the strong term, blasphemy, here indicates how evil, how wicked, how intense this slander was. How do you respond to suffering and tribulation? Very few of us today know that kind of pressure, but they refused to worship Caesar. They were going to nail him to the stake, but he said they did not have to nail me, I will stay. 19:39). 2. Satan, meaning the devil, will cause citizens of the Kingdom (believers) to be thrown into prison and even killed. John was then to send the divine dictation to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. (Revelation 1:11). 7. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. 2 Corinthians 4:4, http://www.churchleadership.org/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&view=post&articleid=43133&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0, http://www.churchleadership.org/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=43139&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0, http://www.churchleadership.org/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=43138&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0, http://www.churchleadership.org/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=43137&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0. The church at Smyrna was to undergo some intense persecution and tribulation. The first thing He promises is that they will receive the crown of life for being faithful until death. Ask God to strengthen your faith so that you can endure the suffering in your own life more victoriously. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. We cannot do that as a church of Satan! I want that kind of prayer life. But then we would always say, I dont want to go through what they went through. You see, the road to getting there is through suffering. Ch 1 Pt 2, Kingdom 104: Where Are the Masculine-Thinking Men? (NASB). In verse 9 when He says, I know your tribulations. That word used here for tribulation literally means pressure. Which attributes of God most comfort you in the midst of trials and why? We need to really commit to pray. Death means separation. I walked out and thank goodness it was 3:30 which was the time to go home. I know what it is like to face death at their hands. Spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God. How does knowing that Christ, the Creator and Lord of the universe, approves you help you cope with "feeble mortals" telling you dishonorable things? The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox . This is the letter to the second church: the church of Smyrna. Jun 21, 2021 42:17. He has always existed. Judging from the characteristics of his appearance, Fuming gave him a very good impression now arctic diet pills Shuerjia can only keto fuel pills review form his first impression based on his appearance. The ultimate reward is life. I think it is a way to deal with stress in the operating room. So, I caught all kinds of grief, you know, comments made like: oh, you would fit well into grandmothers generation. You are really out of touch with reality today. Just cruel comments. If they sought praise from menif they wanted to please the people around themthey would not be so readily targeted for persecution. What was Jesus message to the church in Laodicea in Revelation. In Jesus name, amen. The trials that you are going to go through will be brief. They got drunk. I would leave every night saying, God, why do I have to go to these events? because I did not feel like I was having a witness. The first thing He tells them is be fearless. Description. The ultimate enemy is Satan and that is pointed out in these verses. 6. Many believe that this church represents the martyrs of all the ages and the sweet-smelling fragrance of their faithfulness until death. A person spends 35 pence from a small stall. Life was hard for these Christians. I noticed it and after a few weeks I thought you know I think I need to say something to her. Its system of coinage was old, and now about the city coins of every period are found. This will give great comfort to this church because this was a church that was going to be persecuted. 4. This is a church under persecution yet denounced every false pretension of Jews who were (Synagogue of Satan) abode of Satan. Maybe someone in your family is causing you some grief. How then can I blaspheme my king and my savior? Well, they threatened to bring out live beasts and he said to bring them on. Satan does not want believers to study the book of Revelation because he does not want you to know your eternal hope. I will tell you that I do not want to stand there before the throne of God empty-handed. This article is part of our larger End Times Resource Library. Their enemies can only take their lives once. 2007 - 2023 ChurchLeadership.Org - All Rights Reserved. They were dirt poor. They had no way to make a living. Well, they were under pressure from several forces. That is the kind of pressure, a suffocating pressure that they are under. Pagan worship, especially of Zeus but also of numerous other deities flourished there. What does God want me to share with someone? 5. How can you better realize the fact that our trials will be limited and temporary? Even after I left to go on staff of Campus Crusade, she wrote me while I was in ministry. He has witnessed their continual affliction and the slander theyve suffered from those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. The fact that these hardships have not escaped their Saviors attention surely would have strengthened the Body and served as a loving reminder of Jesuss abiding presence. 4 Reasons Why We Have a Hard Time Talking about Loneliness. Thank you for the strength that You give us when our flesh just does not have it. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. God is very much aware of all that is going on in your life and is not surprised by anything. There was no rebuke for this church and because they were faithful until death, their candlestick has never been removed. He will do anything to stop good things that God is doing. 1. What did the future hold for the church at Smyrna and what would be the purpose? What is in the way of my listening to God? The Bible notes that slanderous accusations by Jews against Christians had led to Christian persecution by Roman authorities (Acts 14:2, 19: Acts 17:13). That is how bad I felt. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Also, death is mentioned three times in these four verses. People did not want to buy from them because they were Christians. Is there something difficult going on in your life today? There were a lot of gods and goddesses, in addition to the emperor worship. I cannot remember all the things said, but I do remember pieces of it that I was a weak little wimp who cannot stand on your own two feet. The devil may harm their physical body, but he can not do them any spiritual harm. She also has two B.S. In James 1:12, James write, Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. Oct 04, 2021 41:20. The members of the Smyrna church, though, are facing persecution because they are more focused on what God thinks than what man thinks. He looks for people who oh, lets see, boy, shes always critical. She is always a gossip. She is always kind of stirring up the pot about one of the leaders saying I do not like the way he is doing this or I do not think they should. Be careful, because he is looking for someone he can just grab and go, yeah, build on that, talk that up in your church, yeah, talk about that leader. However, the church was wealthy, not in the temporal things that had brought their city fame. We need to be ready to stay firm and to stand and resist his attacks. I had the opportunity while I lived there to visit in the homes of some Chinese believers who had undergone some serious persecution for their faith during the years of the Cultural Revolution. And finally, Smyrna was the only congregation besides Philadelphia that did not receive admonishment from Jesus. Are you a God pleaser more than a people pleaser? It may seem as if people were the enemy, the Jews in the synagogue of Satan, or the government that wants you to worship its emperor. They were boycotted. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death. Is the Apocalypse Mentioned in the Bible? So, there will be attacks on us to not study this Word, to not do this. That is physical death. 4. Olympian games were held in Smyrna. Garlands of victory were bestowed only to the highest achieving athletes. This was true of this church, all the seven churches, the church throughout the ages, and churches today. The church in Smyrna and the church in Laodicea stand in stark contrast to each other (Rev. Yet, He is there, guiding us with a beacon that says. Is it fire, is it brimstone, is it gnashing of teeth? It is just the beginning because He is the victor and He conquered death. Every day there is just a wonderful surprise and you are just in a great season of life. Right now, I hate this woman. So, I got up the next morning before dawn and I took a walk. It was used to embalm the dead in the first century (Jn. The letter to the church at Smyrna is unique for several reasons. 6. Even if these believers face death at the hand of the persecutors, it is not the end for them. Home values, sales prices, taxes, school data, and more. Even though He died, He conquered death and He rose again. What are some reasons God allows suffering in our lives? After repeatedly just not doing it, he said for 86 years I have served Him and He has done me no wrong. . 2. I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Satan is the ultimate enemy. But, Jesus reminded them that they were poor here on this earth but you are so rich. We try to go it alone when Christ is beckoning us to trust in Him, go His Way, and give our fears to Him. It has been described as the most beautiful of the seven cities. If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people. Oswald Chambers5. As a matter of fact, she began to teach me. And finally, Smyrna was the only congregation besides Philadelphia that did not receive admonishment from Jesus. Anyone who has said I cannot earn salvation on my own so I put my faith in the blood of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for my sins. 1. When Jesus refers to the crown of life, is He referring to eternal life or to a reward for those who are faithful through tribulation on this earth? He knows the tough times. How would these verses encourage you to persevere in the midst of tribulation and suffering? I do not agree with that. I went in and I just said, God I do not think I can do this. He knows us more intimately that we can imagine and desires that we be in Him and glorify Him fully. It is emphatic in the Greek. He begins this like He did the last letter and every letter afterward with the words, I know. He knows everything. They made up whatever they could and went to the government and they were persecuted. The Essential Inductive Questions (for more Inductive questions see Inductive Bible Study): What does this passage say? The second instruction He gives them is to be faithful until death. What else do we learn about those over whom the second death has no power according to Revelation 20:6? I cried and I prayed and I said, God, I do not think I can do this. I was just going through my mind of what I was going to say. A Russian no" for the rights and freedoms" of the Ukrainian people in the 18th century (1) This article is devoted to the policy of the tsarist authorities against the Ukrainian territories which were part of the Russian Empire in the 18th century. 1.3 Orthodoxy. We are called to be faithful, even if it means death. In between were the temples of Apollo, Asklepios, and Aphrodite. So, I would go to these dinners hating it because all they would do was just drink and drink. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. Second death. 2. Another kind of pressure they were under was a pressure to worship the pagan gods and goddesses. What was Jesus message to the church in Smyrna in Revelation? Because they did they were considered to be unpatriotic traitors: you do not love Rome. Thus they were tortured. The only place the Bible mentions the Church at Smyrna is in Jesus letters to the churches: 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. Absolutely nothing is hidden from our all-knowing, all-seeing God. We need to look beyond the trial. This was a message meant to encourage them in light of what they were facing presently and were about to face in the future. It is not a question of, will you suffer? The question is, how will you handle it when it comes?. It can be seen that Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7), though a local church in the apostle's day, is typical of the first century as a whole; Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) characterizes the church under persecution, e.g. At first, the emperors did not want anything to do with it, but by the time Domitian became the Roman emperor, he made it mandatory that all citizens would worship the emperor or face death.
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