Revelation 2:8-9; 3:7-8 (ESV)
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”
The last couple of days we have been looking at the various churches that Jesus writes to in the book of Revelation. So far, all the churches that we have covered have had some sharp words of rebuke from Jesus on areas they need to work on. For the two churches that we are looking at today, Smyrna and Philadelphia, Jesus only has praise for them and nothing to rebuke them for. These two churches have something in common – they both were tested through persecution yet continued to endure. Humanly speaking, they were poor and weak, but spiritually speaking they were rich and strong. This was the assessment given by Jesus.
Every Christian and church should strive to be like the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia. We should all labour to stay the course despite the challenges that comes our way. When we are slandered for the sake of Christ, we must endure; When we are shunned and sidelined because of our faith, we should entrust ourselves to the One who loved us and called us to Himself; When we face the risk of losing everything, we should look to the One who left everything for our sake; When our faith goes through fiery trial, we must endure to the very end. It is the one who endures to the end, the Scriptures say, that will be saved (Matthew 24:13). And for our encouragement, we ought to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:10-12:
_“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven._
_Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”_
Reflections
1. Based on this week’s devotion, which of the seven churches do you or your local church closely resemble?
2. What forms of persecution do you go through on account of your Christian faith
3 How has today’s devotion changed how your process the hardships that come your way because of your faith?
