The Church Where Tolerance Went to Seed
The church at Thyatira was loving and active, but tolerated a Jezebel in their midst.
The church at Thyatira was loving and active, but tolerated a Jezebel in their midst.
“You can’t judge a book by its cover”—that’s a phrase we’ve all heard before. What’s true of people is also true of churches—you can’t tell the effectiveness of a church by its building. To discover the traits of an effective church, we have to examine what’s on the inside. Fortunately, Jesus Himself shows us what to look for.
Eternity isn’t something we like to think about, but each of us will certainly enter it one day. The question is...where will we spend it?
“If it feels good, do it.” Six single-syllable words comprise the motto of this generation. God gave us the senses, but if pushed to a far enough extreme, we move into either heresy or perversion.
Spiritual movement is either forward or backwards. There is no middle “maintenance” mode. We might feel like we are maintaining a holding pattern but we are in fact slipping backwards.
Tragically, erosion took a toll on the church at Ephesus causing the Lord to finally announce for all to hear, “You have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4).
Life gets complicated over time and it’s easy to lose your way. Maybe it’s time to get back to the basics and remember your First Love.
Tolerance, in its essence, is a disposition to allow freedom of choice and behaviour. However, the ideal of tolerance is now a legalistic blanket of rightness.
The church at Sardis had all the appearances of vibrant and productive life, but they were dead.
You may only be one person, but you can still make a difference. So, please, make a difference! God has opened a door for you. It’s open right now. Find it. Walk through it. Don’t hesitate.