In The Word
Read: Revelation 2:18-29
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and feet like burnished bronze, says this:
19 ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith, and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.24 But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. 25 Nevertheless what you have, hold firmly until I come. 26 The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are shattered, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Our Lord has eyes that see everything in our lives. Even for many of those at the church in Thyatira who were doing some amazing things, their work increased with their faith, and, at the time of this inspection, they were doing things that impressed God. However, our Lord saw past these good deeds to a problem unattended to. Many in the church today are calling for tolerance, but here our Lord corrected the church for being too tolerant. Since the church was not willing to deal with this Jezebel spirit, our Lord was. Our Lord even gave her (the church) time to repent, but she refused His mercy. She was calling herself a prophetess but was guiding the people away from God, not toward Him. He brought sickness on her and to all those that followed her example. There was a group that was not fooled by this angel of light or wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Lord told them to keep holding on to their faith and doing the right things; if they did, they would be rewarded.
We can be doing some amazing things in the kingdom of God, even impressing our Lord with our deeds. But if there are things lingering that we have not dealt with in our lives, the Lord will call us out on it. Meditate on your whole life. Are there any areas the enemy is still lingering in? If so, deal with it or the Lord will. If all of your areas are clean, then keep them that way. Don’t give in to the onslaughts of the enemy. Hold fast and firm to what you know to be right. He who has an ear, let him hear.