Pastor Dale Benson
Jesus writes a letter to one of seven different churches from chapters 2 & 3 of the book of Revelation.
When Jesus writes these letters, He writes about the overall spirit of the church in that city, and both the good and the bad that accompany the church found in that city.
All seven of these letters should be read with the understanding that Christ has already won. The battle is already over, so our lives now need to be lived in that understanding.
In Smyrna, Gentile Christians, and eventually, all Christians, were forced to either worship Caesar or face death.
John tells the Church of Smyrna that he sees the need to survive in our culture but calls to us to stay close to Christ.
Amid all the things in the world, Jesus tells us the spirit of consumerism is not a part of the kingdom. This life is not what matters, it is the next one.
