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I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
               Sonya Contreras

Is Jezebel in Your Midst?

So we come to the next church in Thyatira. “The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says, this: ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first’” (Revelation 2:18-19).

After considering the other churches, this church was doing all right. It kept its first love, it kept the works, the truth, the service. What would the Son of God say to this church?

But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols” (Revelation 2:20).

I have discussed the role of women in multiple articles. We are created to be our husbands’ help-meet. It is a submissive, supportive role allowing the man to lead and us to follow.

You may say, “That’s all well and good for you. But I have leadership gifts—given by God. What am I to do with those? Bury them?”
Does God give women leadership skills? Absolutely! I just might have a few of those myself.
But God doesn’t give them for us to disregard His clear commands.
These leadership skills are not to lead men, but to mentor women.
Read this article for further Scripture and explanation. CREATED FOR HIM.

Jezebel called herself a prophetess. She claimed messages from the gods, that other prophets didn’t hear. She directed the worship.
The result?
She led all right.
She led her husband, Ahab, to be more wicked than any other king before or since.
She brought the nation of Israel into more evil than any other time in their history.
She was out of her role. And everyone paid the cost.
For a more descriptive telling, here’s a short story about Jezebel: Misled:Living under a Woman's Rule.

Are we any different today?
Woman lead worship in Christian churches.
Woman “share” during the sermon.
Woman take the leading and teaching role from men.
It's easy to say, "I'm not doing that." And feel we're okay. But what about at home? Do you correct your husband or try to change him or dictate what he can do in his own house? Who is exerting control now?

Why does it matter?
Read on.
“I gave her time to repent and she does not want to repent of her immorality” (Revelation 2:21).

Nor are today’s women repenting. They justify and rationalize what they do as God’s ministry and gift for them to do.
We give excuses why we correct our husbands. We feel that we should be their Holy Spirit, telling everything they've done wrong, at least when they've walked across your clean floor with their muddy boots! They're doing what they need to do; you are to help them. Sometimes your help is just picking of the mud they've left behind.

What happens when churches don’t repent?
“Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds” (Revelation 2:22-23).

Wonder why our churches have no power and are failing to bring people to God?
Look who’s leading them.
Wonder why men aren’t doing anything at church?
Why should they, when women lead? (There’s something inside men that hinders them from following a woman—that’s God’s design.)
Wonder why our youth don’t stay in church?
She has killed them.
Wonder why your marriage feels strained?
Your husband has nothing to do at home or with the children because you correct whatever he has tried.

Is there no good news for this church who seemed to be doing so well?
Yes.
“But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also 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 2:24-29).

Jezebel proclaims her message as special and sent from God.
But God declares her message from Satan. Her “message” disobeyed God's rules. Her means as ruler and teacher was wrong.

The authority given over the nations is foretold in Psalm 2:8-9. God is declared Sovereign over all kings, rulers, and nations. Psalm 2 concludes in verse 12,
“Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”
The Lord is supreme.

Satan’s lies—that people can disobey God’s order and rules and succeed—will ultimately be destroyed and all will acknowledge GOD is God.
The judgment will break some (the potter’s pieces), because they listened to Satan’s lies.

When we obey God’s order and rules, we don’t become slaves, as Satan would want us to think, we are given freedom to rule the nations with God.

The encouragement to those believers who are holding fast to the truth can be seen in these verses,
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).

Fight evil (especially the evil within that wants to control). Stand firm. And look for His coming.

https://our-daily-devotions.blogspot.com/2017/06/revelation-224-29-thyatira.html

June 19-2017 Our Daily Devotions:   Revelation 2:24-29--Thyatira

 

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Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.

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Women's Roles
Find other articles about women's roles here:
The Sacrifice of Obedience
Why Boys Fight? And Is that Good?
Is Your Family Different?
Created for Him reprint
Gender Differences Backed by Science
What Should Men Do? reprint
Where Are the Men? reprint
What Is Man? reprint
Man VS Woman: Making Man Act Like a Woman
Man VS Woman: Is It Eqality We Seek? reprint
How Do You See Sin?
Marriage Is a Covenant before God
Are You Precious?
What's a Mother-In-Law To Do?
A Promise Is a Promise
Happily Ever After
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Where You Go, I Will Go
Protecting Our Men
What Makes a Marriage Work?
And the Two Shall Be One
Do You Let Your Husband Love You?
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Is Jezebel in Your Midst?
Can You Say, "No"?
Are You Losing Your Mind?
Expect Great Things from God
The Making of a Man part 4
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Biblical Womanhood
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Letting Him Protect
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Is Jezebel in Your Midst?
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The Worldview that Makes the
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See the Story in the Stars
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Being in His Presence
Contentment: It's Not for the Timid
How Secure Are You?
How Do You Respond To Stupid People?
The Earthworm Is My Hero
Heart Issues or Issues of the Heart
Things Aren't Always What They Seem
More faith articles are found here:
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Or here:
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under the Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Articles on Suffering can be found  here, 
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under Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
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