Of the seven churches whom Jesus Christ addresses in the book of Revelation, there are only two to whom He has nothing negative to say. Smyrna was one of them. The church in Smyrna faced extreme persecution, poverty, and slander. The Lord encourages this church to remain faithful in order to receive the crown of life. Today's church in America really does not experience the kind of tribulation, but the church in Smyrna serves as an example of how to be a treasure in God's eyes and triumphant whenever that season of persecution arrives.