The church of Thyatira is often called The Corrupt church. But as with several of the seven churches, they do a lot of things right. Jesus says they have good works, love, service, faith, and patience. Sounds like a good church, right? But behind closed doors, there is some false teaching and immorality going on. They are allowing a woman to not only teach lies but seduce men and practice idolatry. We as believers and the leaders of the church need to be careful to not allow sin and false teaching to infiltrate the church (especially in the leadership) or our lives. How often does Jesus say to watch and be ready? That should pertain to what is going on within the church as well as out in the world.
Continue reading “Thyatira: Immorality and False Teaching in the Church”Tag: false teachers
Pergamos: Stay Away From False Teachers
Jesus says that Pergamos was surrounded by evil. It is “where Satan’s throne is.” The church held fast to their faith in Christ, but couldn’t let go of the teachings of the Nicolaitans and those who held to the doctrine of Balaam which included sacrificing to idols and sexual immorality as well as sorcery. You may say we don’t practice sorcery. But it is all around us. Horoscopes, tarot cards, Ouija boards, and we watch movies and shows that actually applaud immorality or sorcery. I think of shows like Practical Magic, Lucifer, and, yes, I said it, Harry Potter. The examples of immorality on TV and movies, politics and society in general are endless. Let’s take a look at what Jesus says about tolerating, condoning, or participating in such beliefs and practices.
Continue reading “Pergamos: Stay Away From False Teachers”Letter to Ephesus: A warning for Today’s Church
When I first started this blog, I wrote some short posts about the Seven letters to the Churches from Jesus in Revelation. Today I thought I would go back to the letters and expound on it a bit. I believe that we are getting closer and closer to Jesus’ return, and it is more important than ever to pay attention to what Christ has to say here.
Continue reading “Letter to Ephesus: A warning for Today’s Church”Knowing and Discerning
Jesus often talked about discerning the truth. We should not follow someone blindly, but be sure that what others teach is the truth. He reminds us that there are many false teachers out there. He also reminds us that we should have enough knowledge and wisdom to know if a teaching is true or not. If you are a part of a church, find out what their beliefs and teachings are. Does it follow the word of God? Do they teach from scripture? If not, find another one. Do they compromise what the Bible says to fit in with the world? If so, find another church. Jesus chastises the leaders of His day that they can discern the simple things but they do not see the truth that He is who He is. We need to be discerning and know what we believe. John says to not follow the world, but to follow Christ.
Continue reading “Knowing and Discerning”Known By Our Fruit
The fruit of the plant will show how healthy it is. The fruit is used to produce more and it is good food. Jesus speaks of fruit in his parables to describe our faith to teach us about discernment. A good tree bears good fruit but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
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My Daily Scriptures 