The Persecuted Church
“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.” Revelation 2:10
The words that Jesus gave to the church at Smyrna were different from the words for Ephesus. He told the church at Smyrna, first of all do not be afraid! He said they were about to suffer some things and He wanted them to prepare ahead of time by never allowing fear to get into their hearts. He told them that some of them would fall into the traps that the devil had set for them and that they would be tested and have trouble. Lastly, He told them to be faithful until death, never giving up on their faith and holding fast to His promises!
This message doesn’t sound too encouraging on the surface, but again, I believe it is relevant for the body of believers in this present time. The number one command we can apply to our lives today is to get rid of fear!! Forbid it to touch your life!! Fear is a spirit and it is poison. It can get a grip so tight on a person that it can literally paralyze them from functioning in the plan God has for them. Learn to identify when it is approaching you and have a plan in place to defeat it at its onslaught. You can stop fear by speaking out of your mouth what God says about the circumstances in His word. When you are afraid something bad is about to happen or even if it is already happening, instead of talking about what you are afraid will come, speak what you know He is doing behind the scenes to change the situation. Things like: “I have given this situation over to my Father and I know He is leading me through to victory because I am more than a conqueror.) Or “Thank you Father that you have promised in your word that you are working in everything that I have committed to you to handle!” Turn your fear into the things that you are believing God to work out for good because you love Him and are called to His purpose. Instead of saying, I’m afraid _______ is going to happen, you can say: “This looks like it is heading in the wrong direction, but I have given it over to my Lord and I know He is turning what the enemy meant for evil into good things that only He can do!”
The best way to be prepared ahead of time to recognize fearful thoughts and ideas is to remember what you feel at the beginning when fear approaches. Maybe you get a tight feeling in your chest, or a sick feeling in your stomach. Maybe you just sense peace leaving you. Whatever it is, use that feeling as a check to alert you that fear is approaching. Then have some scripture promises ready (Your sword of defense) to speak out loud to defeat that evil spirit of fear! (2 Timothy 1:7)
The second part of His exhortation is to be aware of and recognize the traps of the devil. Satan is very subtle, and his devises are often explained away with diagnosis, prescriptions and substances. He often begins with the distractions of the world to get us totally preoccupied with making ourselves comfortable and entertained, filling all our spare time with movies, social media and activities. These are not bad things, but they should not be our “go to” every chance we get. These are lures to totally distract us from the work God has called us to in this world and they can open the door for the curse of the enemy to enter our life. Soon we fit right into society, and our light becomes so dim that no one even recognize that God is living among them in His people.
He finished all His letters with the same phrase: “He who has ears to hear.” He isn’t talking about the ears on the side of our heads. He was speaking of an open and receptive heart that desires to know God’s best path to walk in that way of life. He doesn’t want us to fall into traps and be defeated by His enemy. He always has our best interest in mind and He can see what is coming up in life that we cannot see. It makes sense that we listen to His warnings if we want to be successful in walking out that divine plan.
Today I want to encourage you in the same way the Church at Smyrna was encouraged. Do not be afraid! Trouble, tests and trials are a part of life, and it is a guarantee that they will be coming. Get prepared ahead of time by filling up your heart and mouth with the word of God. Then begin to speak His word at all times. Don’t wait until the storm starts to rage to say it. Keep His word always in your mouth. When you do, you won’t even notice when the winds blow. Start today and continue in your faith word all the remaining days of your life. Then when you get to the end, you will receive that crown of life that He promised all those years ago!
Today’s scripture reading: Revelation 2:8-11
8 “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:
9 “I know your works, tribulation, 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.
10 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.
11 “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.” ’
The Daily Dose 