FOCAL POINT SMYRNA: I KNOW I KNOW ABOUT YOUR SUFFERING/POVERTY

Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive: ⁹ “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich!  Rev. 2:8-9

If I'm honest suffering is all around us, and one doesn't have to board a plane to go to Malawi, Haiti, Honduras, or somewhere across sees to see that suffering is all around us.   Suffering is the 3 women in Ohio that was rescued just last week, that they endured all forms of abuse over 10 years.   Suffering is the husband and wife in Southern IL whose 4 other kids perished in a arson fire this past weekend.   Suffering are those that we sit next to at work, on Sunday mornings that are wondering where the next meal will come from.

Suffering is the catalyst that has the ability to bring people of different cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds all for the purpose of simply loving/caring for one another in the midst of tragedy.   That's the church of Smyrna.   They were the only church that received commendations without a rebuke, but interestingly Christ didn't protect them from feeling the pangs of suffering.    Surely He could have, but why didn't He.    I mean He could've made sure that those women in Ohio never went through what they went through but He didn't.   He could've made it so that when you lost your parents or friends that you felt nothing, but that's not what He chose for you.  

So is there something to suffering that we need to experience to bring us closer to Christ?  I'm sure it is, as I sat with a young pastor from New Orleans whose 90% of his congregation lost their homes during Katrina that said....." Ray in an odd way.....I would've changed a thing..."  It's the mystery of how can a woman choose to endure 9mos of labor pains, then deliver a child that is bent on breaking their heart....who chooses to endure that.   It's the question of why would the people of Smyrna stay in Smyrna knowing that the Roman gov't will mock and persecute them?  Because for them to LIVE IS CHRIST and to DIE is GAIN! (Phil. 1:21)

Anyone willing to declare that....that FOR GOD YOU LIVE, FOR GOD YOU DIE?    Smyrna did.....and if you have a mother she did too, if you are reading this.  Christ said I KNOW I KNOW,, but do you realize your suffering is not for nothing but rather the cause of CHRIST.    But if it's true that we a living in midst of a world that is suffering, my parting question to you, as a DISCIPLE is WHAT ARE  YOU DOING ABOUT IT? LGLP