To the church in Thyatira Jesus appeared as the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. Jesus' eyes like blazing fire show that Jesus sees everything, even the hidden problems of the church, and Jesus' feet like burnished bronze show that God's judgment was right at the door. To the church in Thyatira, Jesus appeared as the Son of God who saw all the behind-the-scenes, unrevealed problems of the church, and who was ready to judge them any time because of their sins. Why did Jesus show Himself in this way to the church at Thyatira? The church in Thyatira was actually doing pretty well. Jesus acknowledged this saying, "I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first." Wow! What a church! And what great Christians they were! They received straight A's in five subjects – deeds, love, faith, service, and perseverance! Moreover, in all five subjects they were doing better than they had done before. If any church in America today did just half of what the church in Thyatira did, all the members of the church would be called saints and their influence would be vast. It seems that Jesus should have appeared to them with glorious prizes and gifts in both hands. But instead, He appeared as the Son of God who saw the problems of the church in full, and who was ready to judge them. Why?

Jesus said to them, "Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols." Jezebel was the most wicked and evil woman in the Bible. She boldly defied the Lord God and avidly established idol worshipping around her. Her idol worship was the most debased kind including temple prostitution, child sacrifice, self-mutilation, and the like. In this passage, "that woman Jezebel," refers to some woman who had the image of Jezebel – calling herself a prophetess, leading many astray by her godless teaching, and causing no end of trouble to the people of God. Apparently, she was a very influential person in a position to teach others in the church. Even God's servants paid attention to what she said. The problem was that her teaching encouraged people to live sexually immoral lives instead of encouraging them to put to death the misdeeds of body and live according to the desires of the Holy Spirit. It is not easy to deny the desire for sexual pleasure. Everyone has a desire to give into a pleasure-seeking lifestyle, forgetting that he or she will go to hell as a result of his or her choice.

So far, the church members in Thyatira had struggled hard to deny themselves and show Christian love and service to others. But this influential woman in the church taught them that it was okay to enjoy sexually immoral pleasures and that it was even necessary for them to pursue such fleshly pleasures so that they might know the deep secrets of evil in order to overcome evil. Many people welcomed her teaching and gave into their sinful pleasures. Even some servants of God followed her teaching and lived in sexual immorality. The church became liberal and there was no absolute standard of truth for them to hold onto in their day-to-day struggle. When the others saw this, they did not take positive action to purge evil from the church; instead, they tolerated that woman, Jezebel, and let her exercise her influence in the church unchecked. Maybe she was their neighbor, or maybe, no one wanted to speak ill of her. In this way, the church was rotting from the inside out. Even though this Jezebel prototype had many chances to repent, she was not willing to repent of her immoral life. When Jesus saw His church becoming more and more sinful, His heart was filled with pain. On the outside the church seemed to be excelling. In their deeds, in Christian love and faith, in service to God and even in perseverance, they received all A's. But inside, the church was becoming sexually immoral all because of one woman's terrible influence. They thought that they were okay, even if they were just a little bit sinful, because they had done so many things for Christ. But nothing could be hidden from Jesus whose eyes are like blazing fire.

The name, 'Thyatira' means 'the castle of Thya' or 'odor of affliction.' As the name implies, the church was sending forth a bad odor despite good appearances all because of one sinful woman. Jesus saw all this, and appeared to them as the Son of God whose feet are like burnished bronze ready to judge them at any moment. Jesus declared His judgment on that woman Jezebel and those who followed her teaching saying, "So 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" (verses 22-23). Many people take a liberal attitude towards God, toward themselves and toward sins, and as a result, many churches in America have been destroyed and people come to church not to find Jesus Christ, but to find their sin partners. They think that they will be okay even if they pursue their sinful pleasures as long as they say, "I believe in Jesus." They determine that they will never foolishly say, "I do not believe in Jesus any more," thus remaining saved no matter what. They think that through professing this they will go to heaven. They are so foolish! How can they deceive Jesus who searches men's hearts and minds with His blazing eyes? Jesus says, "I will repay each of you according to your deeds."

But there were others in Thyatira who did not hold to her teaching. While many were enjoying their sinful pleasures freely along with that influential woman, Jezebel, there was a remnant that did not give into temptation. Instead, they kept pure gospel faith and fought the spiritual battle against their sins. Jesus knew their hearts and their struggle, and He commended them saying, "I will not impose any other burden on you. Only hold on to what you have until I come. To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations – He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery – just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star."

In the past, I had a very liberal view of myself, God, and my sin problems. I grew up in a Christian home, went to church, attended a Christian high school, and even enrolled in a Christian university to study the Bible more deeply. I never lived a wild, hedonistic lifestyle, but instead, I always wanted to serve and please others. I dreamed of being a missionary ever since I was in elementary, and in junior high I even won an award based on 1 Timothy 4:12 for being the most spiritual person in the 8th grade. Because of this, I thought my remaining sins were not important. Like the church in Thyatira, I tolerated the remaining wickedness in my heart and did not purge it from myself. Despite all these good-looking things on the outside, my heart was full of sin. I spent night after night indulging in sexually immoral fantasies and masturbation. I harbored bitterness and hatred in my heart against my father, my former pastor, my former step-sister, and several others because of the pain they had caused me. I often lied to avoid minor punishments and disgrace in the eyes of others. And through it all, I thought I was a good Christian girl. I thought I was saved from my sin and that God was pleased with my life. But Jesus came to me as the Son of God whose eyes are like blazing fire. Jesus saw all the wickedness of my heart and He stood at the door ready to judge me. Then God poured out His grace upon my life, helped me to see my sin and to repent. And with repentance, my life took on a new direction. I began walking a path of righteousness, serving the Lord through teaching the Bible and dedicating myself to His work through this UBF ministry.

But lately my feet have strayed back to my old paths. I have once again forgotten the depths of my depravity. I once again tolerated evil in my heart. I tolerated strange thoughts which came to my mind again and again: thoughts of lust, thoughts of condemnation against my neighbors, thoughts which reveal my heart to please humans instead of God. Second Corinthians 10:5 says, "…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ," but instead of keeping an absolute attitude about these putrid thoughts and casting them out immediately, I let them take up residence in my mind and allowed them to tickle my brains. Then my life only gave off a bad odor instead of giving off the beautiful fragrance of Christ. With this bad odor clinging to my life, I could not meet any students who wanted to study the Bible.

I repent of my lazy attitude towards my remaining sin problems. I pray the Lord may help me to become like those in Thyatira who did not hold to the teachings of Jezebel. May God help me to keep pure gospel faith, to purge evil from my heart, and to resist temptations to sin. May God help me to become a good Bible teacher and to serve up the delicious Word of God to students at Cerritos College. May He continue to mold me into a sweet-smelling shepherdess in the image of Christ. Then I may overcome, do Christ's will to the end, and receive the morning star as my reward at the end of my life on this earth.