Returning to Our First Love (Part I)

To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:  “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.  Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.  But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolatians, which I also hate.

 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ Revelation 2:1-7

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Jesus declared to the church of Ephesus that He knew their works and all the labor they have endured over the years. This church did not compromise on truth, and they were clear on what was evil.

The church in Ephesus had the maturity to discern between true and false apostles. They had all the appearance to signify they were capable, holy, and strong Christians. However, they had one major flaw that Jesus spoke about. They had left their first love!

The word, “left”, in the above scripture, (According to Strong’s Concordance in Greek) means ; neglect or disregard.

Outwardly this church was doing very well, but inwardly they had neglected their God! Isn’t that amazing!? How can this happen?

I would like to share a few reasons that could cause us to lose our first love!

Loss of Focus

If we determine the approval of God based on all the things that a church is doing right, we could be terribly wrong! While doing the right things is an important factor in God’s approval, but it is not the main component!

Jesus could see the inward condition of this church, and it wasn’t good. Is it possible that they had become so skilled in what they were doing that they didn’t find a need to depend on the Lord any longer? Were they so focused on the work of the ministry that they forgot the Creator of the Ministry? Could it be that they equated the approval of others with the approval of God?

The church had done all the right things, but they weren’t right before God!

How can we focus on God’s approval?

1. We need to have a regular time with the Lord away from people and activities. This is the place where we come before the Lord and allow Him to speak to us about those things that are important to Him.

2. We should have people in our lives who are not in our circle of friendships and/or ministry and give them permission to speak into our lives! These individuals should have the maturity to be obedient to Christ but not have their own personal agenda/need.

When David came on the scene and saw Goliath intimidating the people of God, he had no agenda except to stand up for truth and righteousness ( See 1 Samuel 17). David’s so called  “skilled and mighty” brothers had been breathing the same air of defeat as all the others. They believed Goliath’s report instead of God’s truth about their situation. They communed with others in the lowland of fear and doubt and missed their high calling and purpose to be warriors for God!

3. Our focus needs to be laser sharp! Examining our focus from time to time is paramount! Is there anything that is competing for our attention?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

Beggars Are Healed!

So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Acts 3:5-6

The lame man expected to receive something from Peter & John just as he did from others who came to the temple. He had been conditioned to feel entitled and expected others to help him, but his vision was only to get the assistance to relieve the pain of lack and inadequacy.

Feeling entitled to receive something from others doesn’t truly change our condition. It only puts a band-aid to the problem. It neither builds our character nor does it make us a stronger person. As a matter of fact, it leaves us in a position of weakness and inadequacy.

When I was a teacher, I had variety of students with different levels of ability and drive. Some were willing to work hard and do what it took to get a good grade. Others struggled but asked for help. There was always a couple of students who felt entitled to a get good grade or special treatment.

I was not one to give any student special treatment because I really believed in their ability more than they believed in theirs. Since they were used to getting the sympathy of others, they hadn’t had the opportunity to be pushed over the edge and see what is in them.

Saying “yes” to an expectation is a lot easier because it makes the student and their parents happy, and you can be considered a cool and popular teacher! It’s always a struggle to say “no” to someone who expects something from you, but if we are patient and are doing it for the right reasons, we will see the fruit of it.

I had the privilege of seeing students achieve the grade on their own and feel really good about it. We can get to see the person’s confidence grow over time because we have given them the opportunity to struggle and come out on the other side stronger. Now they can feel that they have overcome a major obstacle without a handout or special treatment!

What if the people whose help we seek, know their assistance is like alcohol to an alcoholic!? What if they are the ones who really care about us because they are not giving us what we are craving. Their desire is to give us what we really need which is healing and wholeness in Jesus! I surmise that if Peter & John had silver and gold, they wouldn’t have given it to him because they were spirit led rather than emotionally driven! They had the faith and the vision to see him healed!

Is it possible that those who looked seemingly as our enemies or adversaries have all along wanted the best for us? Perhaps we weren’t willing to receive it because it didn’t come in the package we were used to!

Lord open our eyes to see the treasure in the form of peculiar people that you have placed in our lives whose assignment is very different than all the other people we have encountered. Thank you for people like Peter & John who came to bring wholeness and not a handout. They have come to bring the Good News of healing and restoration that can change the course of our lives. Help us not to miss the encounter with them.

Help us to be agents of true healing and restoration rather than handout and special treatment toward others!

 

Beggars Called to a Higher Place

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. Acts 3:1-7

A lame man sat at the entrance of the temple begging people for money because he was disabled and disadvantaged. Generally, we like to help those who are not capable of helping and providing for themselves. The fact that people were going to the temple, would have compelled them to help this poor man by giving him alms.

Years of disability and poverty had made the lame man to remain in his identity as a poor and disadvantaged person. He had learned to beg and depend on the monetary help of others. However, the lame man was in for a surprise!

The condition of being lame is not just limited to physical state but it can also be our about emotional impairment or our perceived mental limitations. Somewhere along the journey of life, the circumstances or rejection from others may have made us lame. We are not necessarily in need of money but we beg for acceptance and value.

Women can get into unhealthy relationships with the opposite sex because they need the affirmation of a man regardless of the cost to their emotions or bodies. Children perform highly at an athletic level just so they can have Dad’s respect. Men and women enslave themselves to their careers, so that they can feel valuable and significant by others.

Do we beg people for attention, value, security, or purpose? Has the attention of others made us remain in our needy position? Do we see ourselves as incapable apart from others’ intervention in our lives?

This lame man was brought by his friends  on a daily basis to the temple. They assisted him to beg everyday for what he thought he needed. This man had made a career out of begging, and he could have easily justified it because he was lame.

Have we become professional beggars and justify it because of our past? Do our friends help us to stay in the position of being beggars? Do we depend on people so heavily to the point that we think we would not be able to live life without their acceptance or assistance? As friends, are we enablers for others because it makes us feel valuable?

Peter and John approached the lame man, and he expected from them what he expected from others. However, Peter & John were no ordinary temple goers compelled to just give him a handout. They were about to knock his socks off by completely transforming his world and his life-long condition!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

 

Treasure According to God

If we treasure and value what God treasures, we will be building our lives in such a way that we will not have regrets later in life!

Earthly treasure in competition with spiritual treasure

Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’  ‘Honor your father and your mother, and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Matthew 19:16-22

The rich young ruler must have known something was missing in his life but couldn’t put his finger on it, so he asked Jesus about it. Jesus knew that wealth was a stumbling block for the rich young ruler to give himself wholeheartedly to the kingdom of God, so that’s what He asked of him to give away.

Worldly riches have value and add comfort and provision to life. We don’t have to look down upon earthly riches, but the riches can’t own us or drive us in life.

A couple of years ago, I met a man named Charles Mulli. He became a millionaire in his early forties. He loved his wife and his large family, and they all lived in a large beautiful house very comfortably, but the call of God came upon him. The Lord put a burden and a passion in this man’s heart for orphans. He gave up his career to start an orphanage. 25 years later this man is unstoppable. He has a foundation called Mully Children Family that has touched the lives of thousands of kids in Kenya.

The riches Charles is gaining through saving the lives of those orphans are far greater than any riches he could accumulate in his investment portfolio! I wonder what the rich young ruler missed out on as he walked away sorrowful!?

In the book of proverbs it tells us,

The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22

Our priority is to have the hand of God and the blessing of God in our lives. That’s the true treasure. If we build wealth according to Biblical principles, it won’t cause any strife in us. The earthly treasure won’t lead to division in our homes or with those around us. If the Lord asks us to give generously, we are willing to do it because we know we can never out-give God.

Some riches bring sorrow with them because people go after the riches rather than following the finger of God in their lives. He knows how to bless us if we stay in step with Him and be obedient to our part, but having Him in our lives is always the greatest blessing!

God’s treasure is stored in us 

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 

2 Corinthians 4:7

Paul considered himself and all of us earthen vessels; another translation calls us “Jars of clay”. A jar of clay is frail and hollow inside. We are saints, ministers, and  ambassadors of Christ because of the treasure that He has placed in us through His spirit. He is our treasure and the one who gives us value.

Those of us who have walked with God for quite a few years, can take the treasure inside for granted sometimes. We may think it’s not a big deal that we can pray, encourage, empathize, prophesy, give, or witness for Christ, but none of those would have been possible if He wasn’t inside of us giving us the desire, the heart, and the ability to do them.

What do you treasure today? Do you treasure what God treasures?

 

For more information on Charles Mulli ministry, you can check out his website mullychildrensfamily.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Does God Call Treasure?

In a world with an upside down value system, it behooves us to pay attention to what God calls treasure! We should  highly value and esteem what God considers to be a treasure!

His people

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” Exodus 19:5-6

For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure. Psalm 135:4

God saw us and chose us to be His special treasure. God treasures those He makes a covenant with. He takes full responsibility and pleasure in His relationship to His people. The blessings of walking with God and obeying Him are amazing towards His people.

If you read Deuteronomy 28:1-14,  you will be astounded at the number of blessings that are part of His covenant relationship with us. It makes you wonder why do we disobey or wander off from the Lord in the first place!?

Do we treasure our relationship with the Lord?

Fear of God

The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high;
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times,
And the strength of salvation;
The fear of the Lord is His treasure. Isaiah 33:5-6

Fearing God is nothing distasteful or humiliating, but it is actually a treasure for those who see its value and significance in their lives. If you have ever stopped doing something because of fearing God, you realize how His fear is so important to save us and keep us from a bad decision that could change the course of our lives.

If we want to have a good and peaceful life, we need wisdom. The scripture tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. In order to have Godly wisdom, we must first fear God and pay attention to His ways. Fearing Him should be a treasure to us.

Treasure shapes character

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

One of the definitions of heart here is, “of the will and character”. What we treasure defines our character. This can be a blessing or a curse depending on what we treasure. What we treasure defines what we submit our will to. Our treasure is where we spend our time and energy. We try to learn more and more about those things we treasure and like to become very skilled at them. In the process, our character changes by what we treasure.

What do we treasure? Has our character changed for the better by what we treasure? If we treasure the right things, our relationships should become stronger. Is this what you are experiencing?

 

Pressed Under Pressure (Part II)

Selfless in the midst of loss

And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”But Ruth said:

“Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” Ruth 1:15-17

In the midst of becoming a widow, Ruth had a difficult decision to make. A practical decision would have been to return home. Her mother-in-law released her to go back to her family because she had nothing to offer Ruth. However, Ruth chose to stay and serve her mother-in-law.

Why did she choose to do it? She must have experienced her God. In the natural, Naomi had no promise of security to offer Ruth, but her God was more valuable than any earthly security she could give her. Against all odds, Ruth chose to follow Naomi and her God, and in the process she gained so much more than she could have ever imagined!

Because Ruth remained in Naomi’s family, Boaz as a Kinsman’s redeemer was able to marry her. They had a son named Obed who became the grandfather of King David. Ruth was not a Jew, but she had the great privilege of being in Jesus’ lineage because she followed and loved Naomi and her God!

Ruth passed the pressure test by being selfless. Are you selfless under pressure?

Merciful in the midst of injustice

When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him. Luke 22 (49-51)

Our ultimate example of a man under great pressure is our Lord Jesus Christ. He was a man who was sinless and hadn’t done anything deserving of death. Peter tried to protect him by cutting off the ear of the servant.  Jesus could have felt appreciative by the loyalty of those around Him, but that wasn’t his response. In the account of Matthew, He actually warned Peter, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52). Regardless of the pressure we are in, Jesus’ statement is a profound and powerful statement to write on the tablet of our hearts. 

Jesus was neither looking for man to defend him nor was he going to retaliate. On the contrary, He healed the man’s ear. Jesus didn’t do it with the expectation that things were going to be changed for him, or the soldiers would stop from arresting Him. He did it because he was merciful. His assignment was to do the will of the Father and represent a loving father to humanity.

God is in control

The scripture tells us, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

If we keep looking to God and not be compelled by the stress of the moment, we can respond well under pressure! Nothing can deter God’s plan in our lives. Neither life nor death, neither injustice nor cruelty, neither a person nor a circumstance, neither lack nor abundance can keep God from performing His good and perfect will in our lives!

One moment under pressure can reveal much about what is inside of us! We don’t have to deny or excuse it. The Lord shows it to us, so He can deliver us from it!

Lord, reveal and remove from our hearts what is not like you. Help us to be yielded to the Spirit and respond well under pressure! Thank you for empowering us to do right.

 

 

Pressed Under Pressure (Part I)

To our shock, pressure has a way of squeezing what is inside of us! God doesn’t expose it to humiliate us, but in His mercy allows us to see it, so we can surrender it to Him.

Sometimes we expect an unbeliever or a new believer to be open and vulnerable with their issues, but we don’t want our weaknesses or issues to be exposed. The Bible never paints a rosy picture in an attempt to create a perfect or untouchable image of His people. Here are some of the stories from the Biblical characters and how they handled pressure.

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Fear led to lying

Now there was a famine in the and, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.  And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.  Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.  Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” Genesis 12:10-13

If Abraham had focused on God’s promises, he would have remembered that God was going to make him a great nation. Since he didn’t have any children at that time, he couldn’t die yet!  He didn’t have to rely on lying about his relationship with his wife. Unfortunately, out of self-preservation, he manipulated Sara and asked her to lie for him. A person in panic mode is like someone drowning in a lake, they hold on tightly to whoever is close, potentially endangering the lives of others. Abraham involved his wife in a lie out of fear of being killed.

God corrected the situation through a faithless Pharaoh to save the Father of faith! He also allowed it to be recorded, in order for us to learn from it. Regardless of our previous successes and obedience to the Lord, we can panic at times and take the matters in our own hands and even compromise truth!

Lack led to complaining

In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:2-3

The Israelites had seen God’s mighty hand in their lives. If God really wanted them to die, he could have left them in Egypt to suffer and die. They forgot how God had miraculously brought them out of a 400 year ordeal, and separated the waters in order for them to walk on dry land! A few months of wilderness was nothing to the one who had taken them out of the hands of a tyrant!

Remembering where God has brought us from, could be a matter of life and death in a given situation! The Israelites blamed Moses for bringing them out of Egypt into the wilderness to die there. They ended up having a self-fulfilling prophesy because their complaint and unbelief kept them from entering the Promised Land; they did die in the wilderness!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

A Church With Mixture (Part III)

What can we learn from the church of Thyatira?

These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:  “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.  And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. Revelation 2:18-23

Be discerning

This was a good church with good teaching but passive towards one person who sinned and led others to sin. The above scriptures are an important reminder to all of us to be discerning of the teaching we receive regardless of the person or the success of the ministry. We cannot become gullible and simply believe and receive whatever is taught. Any person and any church can get derailed over time. That’s why it is important to stay alert, study, and examine the scriptures to ensure what is taught is Biblical and balanced.

If a leader falls into sin or gets derailed from sound teaching, God is going to hold him/her accountable. At the same time, we are held accountable to our knowledge of the Bible not what our leaders or our pastors taught us. Jezebel’s followers got the same judgment as her!

Be aware when one takes a scripture to prove their point! Look for other scriptures related to that topic and do your own study. God may not deal with someone’s error right away, but their short-term success does not mean God is pleased with them. The Lord is never passive about sin!

This woman called herself a prophetess; as a result people just took her words as the utterance of God. Sometimes we can be so enamored by the individuals’ success, title, or popularity, that we forget to pay attention to what is communicated.

Be aware of becoming religious

One of the reasons we get religious is because we subtly think we have arrived and know everything there is to know about Christianity. We’re not open to hearing from others especially those who are not part of our church or denomination. We think that we have reached the pinnacle of knowledge and understanding.

Some people become religious because of the number of years they have walked with God. They don’t want to hear someone who is younger in the faith to challenge them or share a new revelation with them.

Some are still drinking the milk of the word and are not ready to chew on the meat to deal with harder issues. They have a self-satisfaction with their spiritual state out of lack knowledge. These individuals are a target for being easily influenced!

Others are religious because they grew up in the culture of faith. Their uncle or grandpa was a pastor, so they think that they have a direct line to God because of their association with Godly people. What if this Jezebel was our aunt or mother? Would we able to see her issues?  Or would our love and affection cloud our judgment?

The main danger of being religious is over-confidence and becoming unteachable. The Lord must have sent the voice of correction and conviction into the life of this church! That’s why Jesus was waiting for her to repent. If we are open, we will hear the truth through His word, His spirit, or others.

Sometimes we are surprised by the fall of a leader, but when you look behind the scenes, God had been trying to get the leader’s attention for sometime. They just refused to respond and confidently went about their business teaching, preaching, and  acting like they have done nothing wrong!

Lord protect our churches from Jezebels, false teachers, and false prophets. Help us to be discerning while we remain teachable!

 

 

 

 

A Church With Mixture (Part II)

Jesus’ performance evaluation of the church of Thyatira was alarming!

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.  Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Revelation 2: 18-21

The scripture tells us that while Jesus gave Jezebel time to repent, she chose not to.

Why didn’t she repent? Was she comfortable because she had a following? Just because a group is in agreement with each other or someone has a following, it doesn’t mean God is pleased! First and foremost, our agreement should be with the Lord and His word, and secondarily with others. If our priority is to stay in unity and agreement with others apart from the Truth, we will be in a pitiful position!

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Matthew 5:13

Jesus called us to be salt and light to the world, but He said if the salt loses its saltiness how can its state be changed?

In this day and age, we see a lot of false teaching including the encouragement of sexual immorality in the so-called “church”. Some do it in the name of compassion. Others are doing it because they themselves want to do what they want to do. There is a group who thinks that the church is supposed to reflect the culture as a result they are trying to stay relevant and open minded about the issues. Denominations are being split over these issues and everyone is quoting the Bible to do it! The bottom line is that when we compromise the word of God, we may gain an audience and a following, but in the process the church will lose its saltiness!

We shouldn’t have to argue/disagree with our brothers and sister in Christ on what sexual immorality is. The Bible is very clear on this issue. Our struggle should be to help the unbelievers to be healed of their issues and see the heart and the will of God regarding their sexuality, identity, and purpose in life. If the church loses its saltiness to preserve the culture from going in the wrong direction, then what will happen to the church? The church will lose its mission, its message, and its power to be God’s changing agent in the earth!

Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. Revelation 2:22-23

Jezebel had a following, but Jesus was ready to cast her and her followers in the bed of sickness and kill her children for the sexual immorality. When the salt loses its saltiness, it has lost its power & purpose. God will not use it, and as matter of fact, He will curse it!

Are we staying salty by allowing ourselves to be preserved through the word of God and not lose our saltiness? Are we willing to be preservers of what is true in whatever sphere God has given us? Are we willing to bring about the seasoning of truth where there is partial truth? Are there things around us that make our spirit grieve which draw us to prayer and intercession?

How can what happened in the church of Thyatira happen now? There is much we can learn from this church. I will continue with this topic in the next devotional.

A Church With Mixture (Part I)

Jesus handed performance reviews to the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation! Most of the churches addressed by Jesus were a mixture of good and evil. They did some good things, but they also did things that were not pleasing to the Lord. Five of them were criticized and two were not. If the same holds true today, that means there is 5/7 ratio or 72% chance that a church could be a mixture of good and evil! We should take heed from these churches and stay alert!

I wrote this devotional at the beginning of the year, but the Lord didn’t allow me to release the message until this week.

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:  “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.  Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.  And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 2:18-21

Jesus looked with his fiery and penetrating eyes at His bride. He saw both the good and evil. He acknowledged a church that had offered their works, love, service, faith, and patience. The works of this church had even increased over time. This could have been because either the church had grown, or they had gained greater influence in the community. However, a woman named Jezebel or with a Jezebel spirit had dominated part of this congregation. She was given the power to call the shots and had become a self-appointed prophetess!

A prophet or prophetess is supposed to represent the Lord and deliver the Lord’s message. A self-appointed prophet will look/act like they are representing the Lord, but they are really representing their own desires and agenda. No one challenged this Jezebel, and so she continued in her teaching of what was evil as good.

The difference between this Jezebel and the Jezebel that Elijah dealt with was that the Old Testament Jezebel made no bones about being an idol worshipper. She spoke out against Elijah and his God! On the other hand, the Jezebel mentioned in the book of Revelation is someone who is in the church. She had a trusted position and got to teach “truth” to the people of God! While the Bible mentions this leader as a woman, this situation can hold true with a male or a female leader.

Why was this allowed in the church? Where were those who should have spoken up? Were the real prophets fearful of her like Elijah was of Jezebel? All we know, the leaders trusted her enough to do what she wanted to do, and she derailed the people of God into sexual immorality!

Jesus was merciful to Jezebel and gave her time to repent from her sexual immorality. However, she chose not to repent!

Why did she choose not to repent?  Was she a true believer who became haughty and deceived in her own mind? Was she a wolf who entered the church with the intent of seducing and misleading the people of God?Why did the people of God follow her immoral views when God’s word has always been very clear about sexual immorality?Did people just follow her blindly? We don’t have many answers about her or the people, but there is much to learn from Jesus’ response to this situation.

I’ll continue with this subject in the next devotional.