"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write…I know your tribulation and your poverty….Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison….Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:8-10).

"Ladies and gentlemen…we thank you once again for continuing with us on B. L. Airways. While we enjoy your patronage, I’ve got to be honest…there will be much more turbulence on this leg than the previous one.

"We are now directly over the West coast of Asia Minor. The city you see can see out your window along the gulf is Smyrna. Famous for science, medicine and grand buildings, it shared a close bond with Rome. In fact, the people of this city held Rome in such high regard, an interesting Caesar cult arose here.

"We hope you enjoy the short stop at Smyrna."

The interesting thing about this church in Smyrna, to which John was asked to write, is that not a single negative comment is made toward them. The people were not accused of idolatry, complacency, or any of the other defining characteristics of the other churches.

While certain sins may not be mentioned, the situation facing (or about to face) this church is undesirable to say the least. John warned these folks that they were about to experience pain and suffering that would be terrible. Martyrdom was the price that many would have to experience.

Certainly, dying for one’s faith is not something on the top of the to-do list. God does, though, seem to have a special place in His heart for those who are persecuted for His name. Scripture is full of examples of persecution, as well as promises to accompany them.

One such promise was given by Jesus at the beginning of His Sermon on the Mount. He said, "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great" (Matthew 5:10-12).

This verse allows us to look at persecution in a much broader sense. We should be willing to put our lives on the line for our faith, to be sure, but Jesus assures us that many situations will arise daily where we must make some kind of a stand for Christ. He said, "People will insult you," maybe not to your face, but insult will occur.

Persecution, in the form of martyrdom, occurs more today worldwide than ever before in the history of mankind. In countries like Vietnam, Sudan, Indonesia, and many others our brothers and sisters in Christ are taken from their families, beaten, tortured, imprisoned, and even killed because of their faith. A visit to www.persecution.org will reveal stories that will astound you.

The question I have, not only to you but to myself as well, is this: how can so many people be willing to die for the name of Jesus, yet we are ashamed to publicly align ourselves with Him? When others at work or school badmouth God, Jesus, or Christianity we largely remain silent.

Jesus said very bluntly, "…everyone who confesses Me before men, I will confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32, 33).

We cannot avoid the frightening possibility of being denied by Christ—of Jesus looking at us and not even recognizing us. But consider the converse: when we stand for Christ, He will stand for us. When I approach the Lord someday, I want to hear Him say, "Ah, here comes my boy!" What greater thing is there to hear from our Creator and Savior?

I’m not saying that we should purposely annoy people with our faith—I do believe in tact. But we should never willingly allow the name of Jesus to be smeared. We are to take a stand for the Lord, even if it means being insulted…even if, God forbid, it leads to death. After all Jesus promised if we are "faithful until death" then He "will give you the crown of life."

Ladies and gentlemen…we hope you enjoyed the second leg of our journey. Our next destination, to which we will arrive in one month, is Pergamus.