Tangled in Tolerance
Dear Church
November 6, 2022
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 all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things. Nevertheless, I have this complaint against you. You tolerate that woman; that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet, to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols.
I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations. That one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’ just as I have received authority from my Father, I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. —Revelation 2: 18-29I, Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I, Jesus am the root, and the offspring of David, and I am the bright and morning star. —Revelation 22:16
AHAB - JEZEBEL - ELIJAH
(1 Kings 16 - 2 Kings 9)
Elijah challenged the people, “How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it’s Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!”
“I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has 450 prophets. We’ll kill two bulls, cut them into pieces and place them on the wood of both altars,
but we will not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. Now the god who answers by fire — he is God.” —1 Kings 18:21-24
The Church in Pergamum
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. —Revelation 2:14-15
Excessive tolerance is not a virtue, it’s a lack of boundaries. A lack of willing to stand up for what is right, all the while tolerating unacceptable or undesirable behavior from others…not to mention your own. —Bay LeBlanc
If you’re looking for somebody to tolerate you or tell you how good you are, what you’re really looking for is for someone to lie to you and to affirm your dysfunctional-sinful-behavior. —Chad Fisher
Those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. —John 4:24
In view of God’s mercy, offer yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your true and proper worship. —Romans 12:1
You shall have no other gods before me. —Exodus 20:3
God is one and there is no other but him. —Mark 12:32
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God. —1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
It’s God’s kindness that leads us into repentance. —Romans 2:4
THE PATH TO FREEDOM IS PAVED WITH REPENTANCE.