“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 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. 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. He
who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He
who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death."( Revelation 2:8-11)
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These
are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David.
What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I
know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one
can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my
word and have not denied my name. I
will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews
though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down
at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since
you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from
the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test
those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him
who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again
will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name
of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of
heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:13-17)
The other churches in Revelation were encouraged for the good they had done but were also censured, all except Laodicea; they were only censured and then exhorted to repent. Jesus had nothing negative to say about Smyrna and Philadelphia. They were complete. So, we have examples set before us that we should strive for.
If they could be complete before the Lord as an assembly, than so can we. It's not like these kind of churches could only exist back then, in the first century. They can exist today. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Our individual churches can be churches that walk closely and lovingly with Jesus Christ. We do not have to settle for, " Well, we are not perfect". We can be that which He desires, but we have to choose to be.
We must each choose, individually, to put off sins from our own lives, to decide to not put stumbling blocks before our brothers, and to adhere to His commandments. Maybe we can then influence others to do the same and be complete, not just individually, but as a whole.
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God bless you!
