SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
1/25/2015 9:11 PM
My Worship Time Focus: The Lord’s Command to Smyrna
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Revelation
2:10a
Message of the
verse: “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to case some of
you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for
ten days.”
First of all let us look at several verses that go along
with what our Lord is telling these precious believers from Smyrna so that we
can get a better idea of what is going on.
We already know that they have suffered very much for the cause of
Christ and now Christ tells them that they will suffer more. John
16:33 says “"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have
peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the
world."” Now keep in mind
that Jesus spoke about this hours before He would be crucified so He will
demonstrate to them about persecution.
Now let us look at a verse in the book of Luke. “Lu
22:31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like
wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you,
that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again,
strengthen your brothers."”
Now can you imagine what Peter’s comment could have been when the Lord
told him this? Well you told him no
didn’t you? Well Peter did not have a
chance to say that and he was tested, but we need to know two things. First the Lord said that He would pray for
Peter and Jesus told the believers at Smyrna “do not fear.” Next when
you go through the process of sifting wheat all the chaff is taken out and you
have wheat left, so Peter would be able to strengthen his brothers just as
Jesus told him to do. John MacArthur
writes the following about why this was allowed to happen to the believers in
Smyrna and also it can be applied to what Peter when through and Job is another
example this too. “Specifically, the
Lord predicted that the devil was about to cast some of them into prison. God’s purpose in permitting that imprisonment
was so that they would be tested. By
successfully enduring that trial, they would prove the reality of their faith,
be strengthened (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9-10)—and prove once again that Satan
cannot destroy genuine saving faith.”
Satan has been trying to destroy saving faith in the
believer for many years, and just as in the case of Job, Peter, and these
believers he has not been successful.
Jesus tells us in John 10:28-29 that we belong to Him “28
and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one
will snatch them out of My hand. 29
"My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch
them out of the Father’s hand.”
A few months ago one of the people who goes to our church
told a story about his trip to Africa and the story was an amazing one and I
will try to share it with you here. This
man is the president of a missionary agency and his travels took him to a
country in Africa where he would teach Pastors for a while. The weather was very rainy and the travelers
had a difficult time getting to the place where the conference was to be held. When the weather cleared people started
arriving from many miles away. Most had
to walk and started out a few weeks in advance as they were hungry for the
teaching that they would get there. A
couple of the men were mugged and had their few possessions taken from them,
but said nothing at the conference about it, but someone finally told their
story. A few years prior to this near
this same location the government was persecuting believers, or at least
Pastors as they had to sign something which would have been against their
belief, and not one of the Pastors signed the document. They were all buried alive which is where
they died. There was one Pastor who had
escaped and was riding his bicycle away when he began to think that he should
go back, which he did and was also buried alive for the cause of Christ. The president from the mission agency went
with others out to a field where they thought was the place where the Pastor’s
were buried. The church began to grow as
there were many people there to hear the teaching. This story reminds me of the believers from
Smyrna and it will be many stories told when we get to heaven as all believers
who are killed for the cause of Christ will receive a crown at the Judgment
Seat of Christ.
One more thing and then we will be done with this part
and that is about the “ten days,” and what this means. In thinking about this I have to go back to
something I heard many years ago and it goes something like this “when the
truth of Scripture makes sense, seek no other sense.” Some try to add something to this, but the
text says ten days and so let us just leaves it at that and seek no other
sense.
Spiritual meaning
for my life: It is wonderful to know
that I do belong to Jesus Christ, and that He prays for me and that He defends
me in heaven and also I believe that He will give me the grace I need to live a
life that is pleasing to me.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Love the Lord my God with all of my soul,
heart, mind, and strength. Live my life
under the truth that He loves me.
Memory verses for the
week: 2 Peter 1:5-9.
5 Now for this
reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and
in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and
in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and
in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness
love. 8 Now if these qualities are yours
and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9
For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having
forgotten his purification from his
former sins.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “The Great Sea” (Numbers
34:6).
Today’s Bible
question: “To whom did Paul say ‘I was
not disobedient unto the heavenly vision’?”
Answer in our next SD.
1/25/2015 10:07 PM
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