The Church at Smyrna

I have had an affliction for 10 years that limits my energy and, at times, makes me generally miserable.  Last night the church at Smyrna came to mind; specifically these verses:

“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.” (Rev 2:9-10).

I believe the Lord quickens us to scripture at times when they will have pertinence to our own lives, and in the case of this scripture, to the Church as a whole. The following is the lesson that came from the fact of my own personal affliction, and the present state of the Church.

In the above scripture, Jesus first points out that material riches do not make one rich, but spiritual riches do. This is mentioned again to the Church at Laodicea who thought they were rich, but were not (Rev 3:17). The worldly see wealth in terms of what it can buy, whereas God sees wealth in terms of our faith.  The true Christians at Smyrna had rich faith, but lacked in material wealth and physical health.

There were also false believers in the Church at Smyrna, who persecuted the true believers. Affliction and poverty will stop a man from reaching his potential, and perhaps the false believers saw them as dead wood, needing to be removed. Being of middle age, I have heard from my peers in local churches that they were asked to step down from the worship team because of their age, and dismissed from ministries for the same reason.  Being older, and not wealthy, they were not seen as having enough to contribute. The church wanted to hand their ministries over to the youth. 

There is a sickness in some of our churches who want wealth and the youth.  The corruption in these bodies of Christ is to want money to finance what the youth can accomplish for them. Because of this fatal illness, their authors write literature that questions the faith of those who are not healed, and of those who do not reach a destiny of wealth.

As Christians, we are grafted into the vine that is supplied with God’s life, because of our faith (Rm 11:17). But we can be cut off if we do not practice that faith (verse 21). We are set into God’s family, to be His people and have His name, just as God’s original people, the Jews, were.  But saying God’s name and being amongst His people does not give us rich faith, nor will persecuting God’s poor and affliction build God’s Church.  The false believers in Smyrna said they were Jews (spiritually) but were not.  They resented the needs of their poor and afflicted.

Sometimes Christians blame others for their illnesses, as if they have earned the affliction.  These people also blame poor people for not living lives that would bring God’s financial blessing upon them. They do not realize that satan has oppressed the sick and impoverished members of their church, and some will even lose their lives.  Instead of praying for their brethren, they slander them.

To the faithful true believers who endure the “prison” of affliction and poverty, God has a crown of life. Though the Churches that persecuted them wanted the rich and young in order to reach their potential, it is those with the crown of life that will reach their potential in the kingdom of God.  The discarded saints will overcome and serve God as His priests in this life, while those in the church who are actually false believers will be cut off.  Amen.