Suffering – Revelation 2:10
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.
These were the words spoken to the church of Smyrna. From the initial sound of it, one could think this body of believers had done some things wrong and they are about to go through a time of purification. However, this church never received one word of reproof or correction. Not one. Nada. Zero. In fact, the previous verse shows up to this point they have only been going through hard times.
9 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.
We don’t know why this church has to go through all the suffering in the end. The question is, will you be faithful if have to suffer?
Let this be a focus in your time of meditation throughout the day. Until next time, shalom!
SOURCE: Steve Moutria at TorahFamily.org (Posted with permission)
http://torahfamily.org/suffering-revelation/
God uses suffering to test us, but also to teach us, through suffering our faith will grow stronger.
No one wants to suffer but yeah you are right, I also think the suffering can be used to remind us who is in charge and just how much we really do need Him! Thanks for the comment!!
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Hey, this is pretty much addresses what I commented about yesterday! I can only pray that I recieve strength and endurance if I'm in this church. Thankfully, He offers us hope!
Hope... Yes! Will it be easy? Sadly no. We just need to pray and be faithful to the end!
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Howdy sir simms50! The Church needs to be ready for suffering as part of the End Times, if we are indeed in those times and I think we are.
My friend I as well think we are in those times! I think most people in the "church" don't realize that those people will see hardship and troubled times.
1 Peter 4:17 "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God"
I agree sir simms50. I think the problem with the vast majority of luke warm Believers is that they are so complacent because they all believe in an early rapture that will take them out of here before anything gets tough so they're not concerned about
being prepared for persecution and so forth. they're going to be in a world of hurt and taken by surprise.
ps- hey sir simms50 have you ever looked into using esteem? it's free and they give you a generous upvote just for using their platform. Or busy, busy does the same thing but I think esteem will be more of a major player.
I have not used esteem before, where you can send me so I can learn more about it? Do you use it? Is it a website or phone app?
Also for busy, I used to use them a lot and would tag them in the post to get an upvote. Seems like the last few times I did it I did get an upvote but it was worth nothing so I stopped doing it.
Howdy sir simms50! Well I don't know what happened with busy but esteem is totally free but at this time you have to download the app, either for desktop or phone, or both if you use both and they upvote one post a day, it has to have been a 24 hour gap so you need to keep track of when you post.
But it's very smooth, they are constantly upgrading and improving and I think it won't be long before the majority of users will be using it. I'm getting approximately 70 cents for each upvote daily but there are different levels for the amount of use. I'm the top commenter on steemit and I use esteem for most of my commenting so I get the highest percentage of votes and I post with them also.
Your's would probably 30 or 40 cents though, I would guess. In other words, for most people it's too good to pass up! lol.
https://esteem.app/ here's where you can check them out.