Be Faithful Unto Death

The heading sounds like a marriage vow, but it was spoken to the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2:8-11. They were struggling with great tribulation, and once again deception was in their midst. You find the deception in the words spoken in verse 9:

“‘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. The Devil has always been the chief narcissist and he uses the tactic of self centeredness as a ploy to bring people into the bondage of self worship. Narcissism is a major problem among leaders in government, in the marketplace, and yes, even in the church. In fact, I would that say that narcissism is the number one reason most Christian leaders fall into sin. Churches hire narcissist behavior because they are usually very gifted and they are the type of people who get things done. One of the prideful aspects of narcissism is that talent is a key ingredient, and when most ministries are looking to hire leadership, they turn to the talent page for candidates. I am not sure how Smyrna got mixed up with people described as from the synagogue of Satan, but you can bet they were people who brought a different gospel into the camp. That different gospel was not designed around the humility to serve Christ, but the pride of man. The words of Jesus to this church were simple, stay focused, and be faithful. Just because they were followers of Jesus and standing for the truth of God's Word, they were going to persecuted.  It's not as if Christians were a militant group trying to over throw governments or turn society into a Bible camp, they just want to practice their faith, and have a right to do so.  Doesn't it seem funny to you that no matter where you go in our world today, Christians are put down, and persecuted for what they believe.  It's almost like racism, and just because you are of a different race in some cultures, you're seen as an problem.  Christians are persecuted because of what they believe, that is spiritual racism, and it's allowed to take place in many countries including the United States.  I believe as we approach the coming of our Lord, the world will become more vicious toward those of us who hold to the Bible as truth and to the exclusivity of Christ alone for salvation.   Jesus words ring out over the ages and find true meaning for each of us in our modern day. "Be faithful unto death." Keeping it honest and truthful...K