Issue 1381 – Seven Churches – Part 5 February 27, 2024

Today, we continue our look at the state of the church with an eye focused on the church at Thyatira. This real church was located near the present-day Turkish city of Akhisar (the white castle).

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 

But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.  gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 

But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come.

The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Revelation 2:18-29

The Lord opens this letter referring to His blazing eyes and burnished bronze feet. He very specifically identifies Himself as “the Son of God.” This is a God who sees everything and who stands pure. He begins by commending the church for its growing works but quickly moves to condemnation.

This is a worldly church. Compromise and immorality run rampant. Sexual sin is prevalent, and repentance appears to be nonexistent for many. God is warning that He sees this group’s hearts and secret sins and will not tolerate them. There is physical adultery here, but also spiritual adultery. They are willing to follow false teachings. The danger flags are raised high.

This is not an attack on the church from the outside. It is a church being challenged from the inside. Church leaders’ refusal to stop such heresies has been the downfall of many once-stalwart churches and denominations. Many churches have drifted from the truth one small heresy at a time, refusing to confront a Jezebel spirit at a time.

The church must always handle discipline in grace with truth and love. The failure to do so can result in the marring of the witness of a whole group or even the slide from Christianity to false faiths.

We see that in the church’s leadership in the late 18th and 19th centuries and their refusal to combat “modernism.” The result has been whole denominations that deny the truth of the Scriptures, deny Christ’s death and resurrection, and treat the Genesis account and other Scriptures as a myth. They have become Christian in name only and have not been born again. They have allowed tens of thousands to slide into the abyss of hell with their lies.

It’s present in the prosperity gospel. They teach there is no need for repentance and God simply wants you to be “happy.” We have seen it in the post-modern expressions of the Emergent Church Movement a couple of decades ago.

Still, there were faithful overcomers at Thyatira. In the same way, some remain faithful even in churches where there has been substantial doctrinal and moral drift. God promises blessings to those who overcome.

Even great works done by a false church will be consumed in a refiner’s fire.

Until next time, may you stay close to the teachings of Scripture and come to understand what Scripture actually teaches so you do not embrace the counterfeit.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the Glory of God alone)

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