FBC Daily Devotions

Read Revelation 2:20-23.

It matters who you follow. Ask the guy following the Honda Civic that’s leading him to the airport to catch an important flight. You know, the silver Honda Civic two cars ahead… or is it the Honda three cars ahead… exiting the freeway? We cannot follow just anyone; we must follow the right one.

Some of the people at the church at Thyatira began following a misguided leader. This leader was called Jezebel – probably not the actual name of a leader, but a reference to someone who was leading members of the church to participate in the worship of other gods or in this case, to participate in pagan practices which were contrary to God. The failure of the church leaders to remove this Jezebel and allow the sinful practices to continue only communicated acceptance. It is not clear how the church could have allowed someone with this kind of teaching and beliefs to continue in their midst. Perhaps they did not have a proper view of Christ’s teachings. Perhaps their hospitable nature tolerated too much. Whatever the reason, as leadership goes, so go the followers. And God was not pleased with the direction the church was going.

At the risk of sounding judgmental or condescending, let me give some modern day examples. Divorce has become a practice widely accepted in the church today. It is not that the stories behind the divorces aren’t filled with sadness, but divorce in the church is in some areas more common than in the pagan world. One has to wonder if church leaders have made light of such practices or have given up working toward reconciliation. The same could be said of gossip or other “light-weight” sins. Homosexuality – a politically charged issue is slowly gaining acceptance by the church. Does the Bible really teach that it is acceptable? Euthanasia (“assisted suicide”) – society is beginning to accept it. Will the church follow suit? These are difficult issues no question about it. It is important to look at these from God’s perspective and not be influenced by what the world considers acceptable practices. The thought that a church leader might advocate such practices is a scary proposition, something the church at Thyatira was now aware of.

For you personally, would you know if you were being misled? Is your worldview consistent with Scripture? Whatever church you might find yourself a part of now or in the future, make certain the leaders hold a high view of the Bible, and have a passion to govern their lives by it.

As we begin a new week, begin by reading the entire message to the church at Thyatira: Revelation 2:18-29.

I don’t think it’s going too far to say that everyone has some Achilles’ heel[1] in their life. Even those who always seem to be developing tremendously in many areas of life, whether it be in faith or character, academics or profession, they probably have something that brings them into equal standing with the rest of us.

That seems to be true of the church at Thyatira. Look at her admirable qualities: good deeds, faith, love, perseverance, doing more than before. Few churches, I suspect, could stand next to her. As a pastor, who could ask for more?

But God could see more than just the good. Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of God (the only time He uses this title in the book and perhaps a reference to Messiah or to His now glorified presence in heaven as Lord and Judge) and as the One with eyes like fire. Some have seen this as a reference to Christ’s ability to see through and into all things (EBC), and this certainly fits the context well (cf. 2:23). Christ could see that despite all the virtues this church possessed, it had a secret vice that was all too damaging. Quite honestly, I am surprised that a church of this quality would allow darkness to dwell in their midst. As said earlier, everyone has an Achilles’ heel. But more on that in the coming days…

For today, it is comforting to know that God sees everything in our lives and that nothing is hidden from Him. All the good that we are doing, all the virtues we possess are seen by God – and one day we will be rewarded in heaven. But those vices… those ugly vices that few know or see, God sees them, too. And the beauty of God’s ability to see is that we can come to Him with the ugliness of sin and confess it before Him, and He welcomes us into His presence as a father. But as we will see this week, acting as if God does not see or know what is happening has serious consequences.

What is your Achilles’ heel? You are encouraged to take some time and serious reflect on those areas that are nagging sins in your life and to bring before the Father. Anger, lust, gossip, slander, grumbling & complaining – these are things that can be easily hidden on the outside and yet rage on the inside. Bring them to God, and allow God to work through and in spite of your weaknesses.

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[1] For those unfamiliar with Achilles, in Greek mythology, Achilles was a great warrior who was invulnerable in all his body except for his heel. Legend states that Achilles was semi-immortal, however his heel was vulnerable. Since he died due to a poisoned arrow shot into his heel, the “Achilles’ heel” has come to mean a person’s principal weakness. (source: Wikipedia)

Thinking back over Sunday’s message, what things did God impress on you? How can it make a difference in your life this week?

Read Revelation 3:4-6.

By the looks of it, there were only a few people in all the city and church of Sardis that were worthy of Christ. They would be the few that would walk with Christ in white garments (symbolizing purity and holiness, others see righteousness and victory) in eternity. These would be the ones whose names were written in the book of Life. These would be the ones who did not defile nor drag Christ through the mud with their life’s testimony. These would inherit eternal life. The beauty of these words is that they are for everyone who overcomes (v. 5). And for all those in this category, Jesus will confess no doubt with pride and praise their names before God and His heavenly host of angels. On that day, all the suffering and perseverance of this life will come to a glorious end as the graduation ceremony of eternity calls out one’s name by none other than Jesus Christ Himself in the presence of God and a sea of heavenly hosts. What a day that will be!

But what of those who did not repent, who did not heed the warning of Christ? Would their names be erased from the book of Life? Certainly the possibility seems to exist in v. 5 since Jesus uses this “eraser” as a means of affirming the faithful. While He does not explicitly state that the unfaithful will be erased from the book of life, if this is not true, then Christ’s affirmation to the faithful carries little weight[1]. For those who see this as support for the ability to lose one’s salvation, one must grapple with passages in Revelation that state that the book of Life contains all the names of the redeemed from the foundation of the world (cf. Rev. 13:8; 17:8), and that these names are always used in the context of the faithful. What would it mean to be erased from the book of life? To be honest, this is a difficult matter. Commentators are mixed on this as well. What is certain, however, is that those whose names are written in the book of life will be saved. Ours is to make our salvation sure through perseverance.

 

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[1] Some see the affirmation as synonymous with the permanence of one’s relationship with Christ. The one who overcomes is promised to never be separated from Christ not only on the day of judgment but not ever after.

Read Revelation 3:3.

Jesus tells the church that if they don’t wake up, He’s going to come to them like a thief, and they won’t know when He’s going to come. There is something very unsettling about this warning. Imagine if someone told you that your house was going to be robbed one night, but you didn’t know when. Would you be able to sleep at night? I don’t think I would. When Jesus becomes like a thief rather than a protector, that indeed is unsettling. It is intended to be unsettling. It is intended to shake them up – actually to wake them up. I think the sad thing is is that in their condition, if they didn’t change, the warning didn’t mean anything to them. My point here is that if one feels a little shaken by this warning, that is a good thing. It is dangerous to have a false sense of security. It is even more dangerous to not care. So being shaken is really not a bad thing, but a sign that the fear of God still resides within.

Thankfully, for most if not all of you reading this, your sense of security is real and true. Christ’s return will not be a surprise nor a time of fear, but a time of joy as our anticipation of Christ will meet its fulfillment. For others, though, who may not have given thought to their relationship with Christ, perhaps (as noted yesterday) it is time to stop and give it consideration. A warning means nothing unless the warned are listening. So, if you didn’t do it yesterday, reflect on your walk with Christ. Listen to God, and see if He’s trying to wake you up.