<TITLE>16. Par 113-118</TITLE>L-113 Now, I have to watch here or I'll get it--too much time took up. Let's get to the 2nd verse, or the--that'd be the 8--9th verse. All right, now the persecution, the 9th verse:
I know thy works, thy tribulations,... poverty, (but thou art rich)... (Oh, my.)... I... (Now, He's talking to the church now, the real church, not the others; they hated those deeds of the Nicolaitanes.)
I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but they are the synagogue of Satan.
Now, they were complaining. They were poverty-stricken. The... They had taken all they had. They'd built up their little church like this; and being that they was such a little bitty group, they'd pushed them out, the big church had, just smothered them out. And He said, "I know. I know you have to meet down on the corner; you meet in the alley or anywhere else that you can." (And I've been in the catacombs where they have to meet; go down under the ground and meet and things there.) "I know your tribulations, and I know your troubles, and so forth like that, but you're made rich through those tribulations." Oh, my. Tell me any time that persecution comes upon the church it strengthens it. Always it strengthens the church in tribulations. "I know your tribulations, but you're rich." Why? "You've held onto Me; you're rich. But your tribulations ain't hurting you."

L-115 Now, the... As you can notice, the Nicolaitanes had got themselves a synagogue now. And the Bible said so here. Did you notice it here in the 9th verse?
... which are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Uh-huh, the true church had been pushed out. The Nicolaitanes had taken over, and the--they'd pushed out the people that had the Holy Ghost; so therefore, they--they didn't have no use for them. If Smyrna in Asia had only knew that the things--that martyr's crowns would've awaited them, they would have shook. See? Now, in other words, what... When this prophecy was written and was sent down, and the church got ahold of it, and they seen they was the ones going wear the martyr's crown, why, they'd--why, it scared them to death. They was looking any time for it. Didn't come in their age. Then maybe some of them said, "Well, you know, you know, I tell you, that prophet was wrong. John was wrong, he--he--because it didn't happen to us here in Smyrna." Why, it was to be hundreds of years later. See? But when God speaks anything, it has to come to pass.

L-117 There's where we sink our faith, right there on God's Word. God keeps every promise. No matter... You might think it has to happen right here, but maybe that's not God's time for it to happen. "But My Word will not return to Me void, but It will accomplish that which It was purposed for." God will always honor His Word, and in Its own good time It'll reap.
So these people was the one, the first church, but in that church was the characteristic that would come out in the Smyrna church later on. Now, then they were to wear a martyr's crown; many of them was to be killed.

L-118 Now, let's take the--the 10th verse, as we read this:
Fear none of these things... (the synagogue of Satan)... which thou shall suffer: behold, the devil shall cast... you into prison, that ye may be tried; and that you shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.
Oh, my. They were told not to fear when they were called on to die for their--their religion. Now, Sister Wood, wherever you are, I hope this helps you. Sister Wood was telling me the other day, she couldn't hardly understand why that some could be delivered and others not. Sometimes you have to know... God told these people, "Now, don't you fear about, 'cause Satan's going to cast you in there, because that this Nicolaitane outfit that's coming, pushing you in, because I'm going to let you die for My cause. But I'll give you a crown of Life at that day." So don't...


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