Spreading like Cancer - Himalayan Heights – May 31 Readings: Revelation 2:18-29 – Thyatira

 Revelation 1-5 - Seeing Jesus

All Scripture is God-breathed and useful, but there are some Scriptures that we can consider the Himalayan mountaintops of the Bible. In the next few months, we will be looking at a series of great texts that inspire and move us - the "Himalayan Heights" of God's Word.

Today's Reading:  Revelation 2:18-29

The last book of the Bible does exactly what its title says it will do, it reveals Jesus Christ to us in a way that is unique in Scripture.

“Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God, the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze: 19 I know your works—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Look, I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction. Unless they repent of her works, 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known “the so-called secrets of Satan” —as they say—I am not putting any other burden on you. 25 Only hold on to what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations— 27 and he will rule them with an iron scepter;he will shatter them like pottery — 28 just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. 29 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Thyatira was a compromised church, just like Pergamum. The small problem in Pergamum was now in full bloom as "Jezebel" had taken over and led the church astray. As is often the case, we do not actually know the specifics of the heresy of Jezebel, but scholars tend toward two ideas. Many believe Jezebel is an actual woman who has taken authority in the church and is leading it astray while others say the name harkens back to Israel's idolatrous past. I tend to believe Jezebel, while not an actual name, represents an actual woman. 

Through the Bible Readings: 2 Kings 5-6, John 8:31–59, Psalm 69:1–6, Proverbs14:11-12

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional: Spreading like Cancer     

A few summers ago, I was out visiting some of the Back Yard Bible clubs our church was holding around the area, when I noticed something disconcerting on the passenger side rear wheel well of my truck. There was a spot of rust - just a tiny little speck. Had I sanded it out and put some primer on it then, it would have been fine, but I neglected it and if you go out and look at my truck today, that area is rusted away completely. I neglected it and the rust won.

That is the way it is with sin and false teaching in a church. If you look at the churches that Jesus admonishes in Revelation 2 and 3, there is clear progress of evil from Ephesus to Laodicea. In Ephesus, there was just a speck of rust on an otherwise solid vehicle. It was a good church with a lot of great qualities, but Jesus said, "I have this (one thing) against you." They'd lost their passion for Jesus. We move on to Pergamum and still, the rust hasn't completely taken hold but it is beginning to work its way beneath the surface. They are still a good church but they were beginning to tolerate evil and false teachers in the church. Today, we read about Thyatira, where the rust had taken over and eaten completely through the wheel well. Jezebel was running the church and things were a mess. In tomorrow's reading we will look at Sardis, a church that has a great reputation for being alive, but is actually dead and then we will end up with the most horrible picture a church can imagine in Laodicea, where Jesus is standing at the door of the church he died to redeem, knocking and asking to be let in!

Rust is never content to mar the surface of your vehicle, it is determined to dig in deep and eat away all the metal. Sin acts the same way in a church. When a church begins to compromise and allow a "a little harmless sin" (usually in the name of grace) or countenance false teaching (not just differences of opinion, but teachings that undermine the nature of God or the Gospel of Christ), it is never satisfied with a little trouble. Sin starts small and grows.

If I had dealt with the rust when I noticed that speck, it could have been contained, before it destroyed a whole section of my truck. We must deal with sin and with false teaching in the church before it destroys our churches. Of course, we deal with these graciously, seeking restoration and grace, but we must not allow compromise to become Satan's rust to eat away our churches.

In 2018, I received a call from my doctor at about 7 PM, which was unusual. There was a note in her voice that was not normal either. I had been sick after one of my trips to Africa and they were running tests on my gall bladder. While they were looking at my gall bladder they saw something on my kidney that didn't look right. Yep, she used that word no one wants to hear. I had cancer. But by God's grace, they had found the cancer (call it an accident, if you wish) so early that they could remove it easily. At my one year checkup, the surgeon said that if he didn't know that he had operated on that kidney, he would swear it had never been touched.

My cancer was dealt with early and easily! If I'd let it go for several years, it could have gotten to be a very serious thing. Too many churches allow sin and false teaching to fester in their midst like cancer until it is so widespread that the church becomes terminally ill.

Deal with sin early. Deal with it graciously but deal with it clearly. Do not let the rust of sin or the cancer of false teaching spread and destroy your church!

Father, forgive me for when I have failed to deal with sin and falsehood in your church. May I be faithful to you no matter what!

Think and Pray:

Are you tolerant of things that God does not tolerate?
Do you seek approval from people more than approval from God?