Am I a Soldier of the Cross? - King’s Heralds Ivory Palaces - Del Delker, Bob Edwards, and Bob Seamount Beneath the Cross of Jesus - King’s Heralds As a Volunteer - King’s Heralds

Am I a Soldier of the Cross? - King’s Heralds Ivory Palaces - Del Delker, Bob Edwards, and Bob Seamount Beneath the Cross of Jesus - King’s Heralds As a Volunteer - King’s Heralds

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Voice Of Prophecy

H.M.S. Richards

The Persecuted Angel


Lift up the trumpet and loud let it ring, Jesus is coming again. Cheer up you pilgrims, be joyful and sing, Jesus is coming again. This is the voice of prophecy, a voice crying in the wilderness of these modern days. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Coming again, coming again, Jesus is coming again.

From our Voice of Prophecy studios in Los Angeles, California, we welcome you to this half hour of inspiration and music with the King's Heralds, Del Delker, Brad Braley, and the Voice of Prophecy speaker, HMS Richards, a Seventh-day Adventist minister. The first music we hear is a new arrangement of a stirring and challenging hymn, Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own his cause, or blush to speak his name? Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood?

Is this This vile world a friend to grace, to help me unto God. Since I must fight, if I would reign, increase my courage, Lord. I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by thy word. Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the privilege of opening Thy Word.

We thank Thee for life, for all the blessings Thou dost give. Remember everyone who hears this broadcast and bless us here in the studio when we produce it. Remember the sick and the troubled and bring peace to the hearts of men. In Jesus' name. There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God, a place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God.

O Jesus, blessed Redeemer, sent from the heart of God. Hold us who bow before Thee, near to the heart of God. Amen. My Lord has garments so wondrous fine, And myrrh their texture fills. Fills.

Its fragrance reached to this heart of mine. With joy my being thrills. Out of Out of the ivory palaces into a world of woe, of woe, only his great eternal love made my Savior go. May my Savior go. In garments glorious He will come to open wide the door, and I shall enter my heavenly home to dwell forevermore.

Home to dwell forevermore. Out of the ivory palaces into a world of woe, into a world of woe. Only his great Eternal love made my Savior go. Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand. The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land.

A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way. ♪ Arrest upon the way ♪ ♪ From the burning of the noontide heat ♪ ♪ And the burden of the day ♪ ♪ I take o'er cross, thy shadow for my abiding place. I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of his face. Content to let the world go by, to know no gain nor loss, My sinful self, my only shame, My glory of the cross. Here now is HMS Richards, the Voice of Prophecy speaker.

His subject, the persecuted angel. This is our second radio talk in a series entitled Letters to Angels, studying the first great prophecy in the book of Revelation. In the first letter, we found a message to the first period of the Christian Church. Even in that first church of the apostles, Christian love was growing cold, a lifeless orthodoxy taking its place. Missionary activities seemed to be displacing Christ, programs and ceremonies endangering spiritual experience.

The Church was busy doing for Christ rather than knowing him. As the Church grows in the world, its task, its work, its great organization, its machinery, its group of workers, its vast crowds of worshippers may divert attention from the great reality, the love of Christ. And now we have the message to the persecuted angel, the angel of Smyrna. Listen to the words of the Savior to this church. I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich.

And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation 10 days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. That's reading Revelation, the second chapter, verses 8 to 11. Now the word smyrna means sweet smelling. It's synonymous with myrrh, and when myrrh is crushed it gives forth a lovely fragrance. So the message to the angel of the Church of Smyrna is a message to a church under bitter persecution.

However, the suffering and the persecution were not to destroy the Church, just to enrich the world with the perfume of heaven. Jesus the head of the Church was the Prince of Sufferers. The healing of the seamless dress is by our beds of pain. We touch him in life's throng and press and we are whole again. It is written in Isaiah 53 5, with his stripes we are healed.

The city of Smyrna was called the city of life, 1 of the oldest cities in the world, the only 1 of the 7 churches of Revelation, which still exists as a strong city today. Notice, Jesus in addressing this letter identifies himself as the first and the last, which was dead and is alive. What a wonderful Savior Jesus is to those who must suffer persecution, and even death for Him. He suffered, He died, but he lives again. He said, I am the resurrection and the life.

He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 11, 25. The church of Smyrna would be crushed with persecution, but it would rise again. And so we all have this wonderful promise of the Lord Jesus Christ of life after death. We'll not go into the historical background of the city of Smyrna and the church which was there, but just remind you of these words we've already read, Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.

Time after time the city was destroyed but rose again. It was captured many times and destroyed by various armies, but always came up again. A great earthquake destroyed it in 1688. The earth opened up and swallowed over 5, 000 people. Smyrna is still alive today as a city with a population of more than 150, 000.

Polycarp, the Christian martyr, was burned at the stake on the side of Mount Pagus right there at Smyrna in 168 AD. Over 1, 500 Christians were put to death there at 1 time, 800 at another. When the judge asked Polycarp to renounce Christ, he said, 80 and 6 years have I served him, and he never did me wrong. How then could I blaspheme my king who has saved me? In 1402, Tamerlane, the invader from Asia, massacred the people, especially the Christians, made a pyramid of their skulls.

The Smyrna period of the church covers a little over 200 years, from about 100 to the days of Constantine, when the Roman Empire declared itself Christian and the pagan persecution ceased. It was a time of persecution, the Smyrna period. The church before had been growing cold, but the persecutions brought new spirituality to it. It proved who were the true children of God, the true children of Israel spiritually. The Apostle Paul in Romans 9 says, they're not all Israel, which are of Israel.

He says that if he be Christ, then are you Abraham's seed. Galatians 3.29. The real children of God are those who are born again, born of the Spirit. John the third chapter. There was poverty in this church, but there were also great riches.

Its members were rich in faith and love and service. They were rich poor men, not poor rich men. The devil was to cast some of them into prison and they were to have tribulation 10 years. And we know that this actually happened to those people. The great apostasy had begun through the loss of the first love.

The Ephesian or first period of the church now continues to develop with false apostles, disciples multiplying right in the church itself. This was what the Apostle Paul called the mystery of iniquity already working in his day. 2 Thessalonians 2.7. They were silently growing among Christians. Notice now the persecutions which were to come to this church.

Ye shall have tribulation. 10 days. That's the tenth verse. Practically all the Roman emperors during the first 2 periods of church history did persecute the Christians, but 10 of them were more pronounced in their enmity than others. These were Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian, Severus, Maximinus, Decius, Valerian, Aurelian, and Diocletian.

The Roman emperors were called Pontifex Maximus or High Priest of the state religion and so of course protector of the Roman gods. They often felt it their duty to protect the pagan worship from the growing power of Christianity. For 10 prophetic days, each day standing for a year, persecution was to continue. The last and most bloody of all the 10 persecutions took place under Diocletian. It lasted for 10 years from A.D.

302 to 312. We have not been tested and tried like this, But many Christians in other lands have been, even into modern times. Some are being now. We know not what the future holds, but as someone has well said, we do not know what is in the future, but we certainly know who is in the future. Christ is there and with him we need fear nothing.

At times God interposes through his providence and even changes the rulers of nations in order to bring deliverance to his people. And so it was in this case, when the last pagan emperor died, Constantine came to the throne and declared freedom for the Christian faith. "'Be thou faithful unto death, ' was the counsel of Christ, and I will give thee a crown of life." How much these words have meant to God's children, yes, to millions of them through all ages. All the martyrs of Jesus have put their trust in this promise. The death of Christ was a triumph, though it looked like a defeat.

So also is the death of every true Christian a victory. Of his own approaching death, the Apostle Paul said, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." 2 Timothy 4.7.

He might die at the hands of persecutors, but he knew that at the second coming of Christ he would receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away. It was laid up for him, it was in keeping for him. He said, for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Wherefore comfort 1 another with these words. And they certainly are words of comfort that we've just read in 1 Thessalonians 4, 16 and onward. They must have been words of comfort to this, the angel of the church at Smyrna. Faithfulness, what a word it is. And how much we owe to the faithfulness of the believers in past times.

Jane Welch, wife of John Welch and daughter of John Knox, was told by some officers in authority that if she used her influence to induce her husband in prison for the faith To disown his religion, his life might be saved. Gathering up her apron at the corners, she held it out as a receptacle and said, Know your lordships, I would rather catch his head in this apron than he or I should renounce my Saviour. But there's something more to Christ's promise right here in this passage, His promise to the angel or ministry of the church at Smyrna. He mentions the overcomer's reward. Listen, He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Isn't this a good comment on the words of Christ here in Matthew 10, 28? And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. God's children might be put to death here, but no man could take away the future life which was to be given them, and God would not take it away. Therefore they were to fear none of those things which they should suffer, for their eternal existence was sure.

They were to fear only God. Smyrna and Philadelphia are the only ones of the 7 churches of the Revelation prophecy which received no reproof, no condemnation. And they are the only ones that have any actual existence as cities today. No doubt the Christians of the Smyrna period needed encouragement more than needed correction. Without doubt there are things that need to be corrected.

But they had all the suffering and trial they could bear, and the Lord knew it. Moreover, the fires of persecution purify the Church as we read in Revelation 7, 14. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. In closing our broadcast, let us think for just a moment of the vast efforts and the millions of money gladly given to save people from this first death. It's well that such efforts are made to ease the sufferings of humanity, to make life more enjoyable, to make it last longer.

But on the other hand, how little comparatively is spent to prevent the second death and to save man from its final consequences. This letter to the persecuted angel of Smyrna, the true ministry of Christ which suffered satanic persecution, should be a comfort and should be a warning to believers in all ages, in our age especially, when opposition to the holy faith of Christ is rising again in bitter forms throughout the world. What will we do for Christ? What will we suffer for Him? Where will we go for Him?

1 unforgettable night in Ottawa, Canada. I heard Lord Shackleton, the great Antarctic Explorer speak. He was just about to set out on what was to be his last great expedition. Sometime before this he had been seated in an office in London, talking to a friend about his forthcoming expedition. The friend said, I'm surprised at the publicity you're giving this.

It's not like you." Shackleton replied, I have a purpose in it. I want my colleague Mr. Wilde to hear about my plans. He has gone to Africa and buried himself in the heart of that great continent. He left no address and nobody knows exactly where he is.

But if Wilde knows that I'm going, he'll come. I thought that if I should broadcast the news, it might seep through to him. For if he hears about my plans, he'll certainly come and go with me." Just at that moment, they both turned at a slight noise, and there stood Wilde in the doorway. It was a dramatic moment, when Shackleton Wilde shook hands, a handshake of loyalty and love. "'I heard you were going, ' said Wilde.

The news trickled down to me in the very heart of Africa. And when I knew, I dropped everything. I dropped my gun and all my plans and made straight for home. Here I am. What are your orders?

Would we do that for Jesus Christ? Are we waiting for His orders soon as the Word comes to us? May true faithfulness be ours that we, like Polycarp of old and his companions, may receive a crown of life. ♪♪ A call for loyal soldiers comes to 1 and all. Soldiers for the conflict, will you heed the call?

Will you answer quickly with a ready cheer? Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? A volunteer for Jesus, a soldier true. Others have enlisted, why not you? Jesus is the captain, we will never fear.

Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? And when the war is over and the victory won, When the true and faithful gather 1 by 1, He will crown with glory all who there appear. Will you be enlisted as a volunteer, A volunteer for Jesus, a soldier too. Others have enlisted, why not you? Jesus is the captain, we will never fear.

Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? Until next week, this is Orville Iversen urging you to let the love of Christ guide you and help you to keep looking up, ever going forward in faith. Have faith in God, though persecutions try. Have faith in God, his witness ne'er deny. Have faith in God, the crown of life descry.

Have faith, dear friend, in God. And now, Voice of Prophecy listeners, just a personal word, a heart-to-heart message love life, have faith in God. Now a message from the Voice of Prophecy listeners. We do very much desire to get in touch with every 1 of our listeners and the only way we can do it is for you friends to write to us. So write us a letter this month.

Drop a line to The Voice of Prophecy, Box 55, Los Angeles, California, and let us know how you enjoy the broadcasts. We hope this program has served to give you spiritual strength for the coming week, and we invite you to join us again next week, same time, for another broadcast brought to you by the Voice of Prophecy. The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Amen. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

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The Persecuted Angel

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