Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

A Jezebel Influence

Video Talk

 

Tolerating that Woman Jezebel

Revelation 2:18-20 ESV

 

“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.’

 

This could possibly be speaking then and today, not of an individual woman, but of a pervading influence and teaching and philosophy and/or doctrine within the church, as a whole, in a particular location. And this influence, which is permeating the church, as a whole, is morally corrupt, lewd, unrestrained, sexually immoral, and idolatrous. And it is captivating the minds and hearts of the masses who are buying into it. But it may be based off the character of an actual woman in Old Testament times.

 

But the main message we can get from this today is that we, as followers of Christ, are not to tolerate within the church such an influence as this. But the sad reality of the situation is that this does describe what appears to be the majority of the church (or what is falsely called “church”) here in America. And I believe a lot of that influence is coming from those who are now turning their gatherings into businesses and who are marketing them to the ungodly, and so they are altering the character of God/Christ and the truth of the gospel to make them acceptable to human flesh.

 

Time to Repent

Revelation 2:21-23 ESV

 

“’I 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.’

 

See Revelation 18:1-24, but I am going to quote verses 4-5:

 

“Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

 

“’Come out of her, my people,

    lest you take part in her sins,

lest you share in her plagues;

for her sins are heaped high as heaven,

    and God has remembered her iniquities.’”

 

I believe the Lord Jesus has been speaking to his church here in America, and he has been warning them against these pervading influences which are moving many of them away from their pure devotion to Christ and which are leading them into accepting idolatry and sexual immorality as a normal part of their lives. And from what I can tell, not many are responding to those warnings. Not many are taking them seriously, but many are stubbornly holding on to the cheap grace gospel which is giving them carte blanche to continue in deliberate and habitual sin without consequence.

 

And so God is going to judge his church. He is going to judge all of us according to our works, and he will give to each of us according to our works, too. And this is why he is calling his people to come out of these idolatrous and adulterous church gatherings where they are tolerating a Jezebel influence and where they are not insisting on walks of obedience to our Lord Jesus in holiness and righteousness, and where they are not insisting on us forsaking our sinful practices, but where they make allowances for “believers” to continue in making sin their practice.

 

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

 

Encouragement for the Faithful

Revelation 2:24-29 ESV

 

“’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.’”

 

But there is encouragement here, too. For those of us who hold to the teachings of Jesus Christ and to the teachings of the New Testament apostles (taught in context), and who are not engaged in sinful practices, but who are walking in obedience to our Lord in walks of righteousness, and not in sin, we are to hold fast to this faith and practice until Jesus Christ returns for us, his bride, and we will be eternally rewarded.

 

[Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 2:24-25; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 8:31-32; Jn 15:1-12; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Rom 11:17-24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 6:19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 1 Co 15:1-2,58; 2 Co 5:15,21; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; 2 Tim 1:8-9; 2 Tim 2:10-13; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 9:28; Heb 12:1-2; Jas 1:22-25; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Pet 1:5; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Pet 1:1-11; 2 Pet 2:20-22; 1 Jn 1:5-9]  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_0DYb4ZEVI

Caution: this link may contain ads          

 

Follow Him 

 

An Original Work / February 21, 2013

Based off Luke 9:22-25

 

Jesus, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross.

 

Anyone who would come to Him

Must deny himself and follow.

He must take up his cross daily;

Die to sin and self each day.

 

Father, God above,

Loved us so: gave His Son.

 

If you want to save your old life;

Keep on sinning, follow your ways,

You will lose your life forever;

Hope of heaven gone away.

 

Spirit of our God

Gives us life in God’s Son.

 

Nonetheless, if you die to self;

Forsake your sin; follow Jesus,

You will live with God in heaven,

And forever praise His name!

 

https://vimeo.com/117316842

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