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“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: 19‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20‘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. 21‘I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22‘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. 23‘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. 24‘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. 25‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. Revelation 2:18-25 NASB
Jesus speaking to the church at Thyatira, had some great & encouraging words for the church. He recognized their deeds, their love, their faith, their service, and their perseverance. Jesus recognizes their growth as He points out that their deeds of late are greater than their former deeds. But Jesus had one rebuke for His 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. The church of Thyatira was persevering and growing but they were allowing and tolerating the voice of someone else that was leading God's people to commit sexual immorality and idol worship. The rebuke that Jesus gave to His church was not that they were allowing Jezebel to have full leadership and dominion but they were simply tolerating her practices in their midst. To tolerate means to "permit just now"; to allow something to happen or remain for a specific amount of time. The church had either not seen the dangers of Jezebel's influence or they had minimized her effect. Who is this Jezebel in the church of Thyatira? At this point in history, the notorious Jezebel from the Old Testament has been dead for over 1,000 years. What Jesus is addressing here is a "spirit" of Jezebel that was in operation in His church through a person or persons that had influence over God's people. This Jezebel's teachings and prophecies were leading God's people astray. In the midst of all of the good that they were doing as a church, why did they tolerate this Jezebel spirits influence? Were they trying to be inclusive? Were they trying to not be judgmental? Did they think that these influences were not that bad? The teachings and influences that this Jezebel spirit was bringing was labeled by Christ as the "deep things of Satan" in verse 24. Yet, the church allowed this spirit to remain. This leads me to ask the same questions of our churches today. What are some of the spirits that we may be tolerating in the church that are leading God's people to sin? What are some influences that we are allowing that are actually connected to the 'deep things of Satan'? Are we allowing Satanic influences into the church that are leading God's people to commit sexual immorality and idol worship? We live in a world today where we can become more afraid of offending people than we are of offending God. But we must understand that the gospel of Christ being preached is bigger than any single person or cause; it is His church in fact. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NASB Peter's words here are not for unbelievers but for the saints. A snake may pick and poke and cause some harm to his prey from outside of the fence but once he gets inside of the coop, he can cause catastrophic damage. The same applies once the devil gets inside of the church; and believe me that is his desire. We must be vigilant to see the false teachings of Satan, we must be vigilant to see the sinful influences of Satan, we must be vigilant to see the results produces by the spirit of Satan. Let us be a part of the remnant in the church of Thyatira that had not given into the false, satanic teachings of this Jezebel spirit. Hold fast to Christ until we see Him riding on the clouds of glory. 24‘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. 25‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. Questions to Consider: 1. What are some of the ways that you see the devil trying to infiltrate the church today? 2. What are some of the good things that Jesus would speak over our church? What are some negative things that He would bring to our attention? 3. What are some teachings of convictions of Christ that you are finding difficult to keep holding on to in the midst of the temptations of Satan?
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And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31“It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.” Mark 4:30-32 NASB
In the beginning portion of Mark 4, Jesus speaks about one of the seeds that fell on the road and what happened to that seed. as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Mark 4:4 NASB “These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. Mark 4:15 NASB Jesus says that the "bird" that came and snatched the seed off of the road is a picture of Satan. We know Satan to be God's enemy and our enemy, but the word "Satan" means adversary and accuser. So, because of the hardness of the soil (pictured as a packed down road), and before this seed could ever go deeper and take root, Satan swoops down like a bird to snatch the seed away. If you have ever watched a bird swoop down to grab something to eat, they do so swiftly, with precision, and with stealth. Their domain is in the air, so they try not to spend too much time on the ground; so they come quickly and then disappear. How does Satan snatch up the seeds of the word of God that have been sown in someone? In two primary ways: 1. By bringing accusations against us causing us to feel unworthy of the truth of the word. 2. Bringing accusations against God causing us to doubt His goodness and the truth of the word. When we experience accusations against ourselves and against God, we should recognize that we are under attack and that something spiritual is taking place. Know this, the devil will do everything he can to make sure that the truth of God's word does not take root in our hearts because he knows that he is no match for the power of God's word. In Mark 4:32 above, Jesus says that once the seed of God has grown it will grow up and become large enough to provide shade for the birds to nest under. We know already from the previous devotional titled: "Shade for the birds" that we are called to be a place for people to come and nest under and find shade from the trials and worries of life (see Matthew 6:25-26 & Matthew 11:28). To nest means to dwell or take up quarters, and the word under means to come under the authority of someone as a subordinate; to come under and remain under someone else. So, not only are we called to be a place of shade for the birds (people), but we are also called to be a place of shade from the thieving, swooping birds of the air. Demonic birds are constantly trying to steal the powerful word of God. It's important to note that the hard, rocky, packed down hearts of people that the seed is sown upon is of major concern. If it wasn't a hardened heart where the seed fell then the seed may have immediately been hidden deep in the soil, untouched by birds of the air. But we must remember what the prophet Jeremiah prophesied: "Is not My word like fire?" declares the Lord, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock." Jeremiah 23:29 We should never underestimate the power of the word of God. If it falls in an impossible situation of even a hardened heart, the word of God can still break through causing tenderness to happen. What Jesus is describing here in Mark 4:30-32 is what becomes of those who allow the word and seed of God to take root in them and transform them. These little seeds grow and become large trees with large branches. They will begin to stand firm in a new authority through the transformation of the life of Christ. When we allow God’s seed to grow in us, we will become a place of shade for others to come to for protection and concealment from even the swooping demonic realm of Satan. We will begin to walk in the authority of Christ to where even demonic "birds" of the air that fly around snatching up the seeds of the word of God, come up "under our shade" of authority. We don’t have the authority in and of ourselves, the seed of Christ in us gives us that authority. The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Luke 10:17-19 NASB We have been given authority over all the power of the enemy through Christ. This starts with us on an individual level in our individual walk, but it "branches out" to others that are in need of protection, deliverance and guidance from Satanic influences. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy but we as partakers of the life of Christ have been called to bring life and life abundantly. Let us walk in this calling and in Christ's authority. Questions to Consider: 1. Are we a shade for ourselves, our families and our church that protects them from the demonic "birds" that fly around snatching up the truth of God's word? 2. Have you ever noticed how hard the devil and this world fights to keep us from the word and from prayer? How does the devil and the world do this in your life? And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31“It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.” Mark 4:30-32 NASB
How large does this little mustard seed become? Jesus says that when this little seed has grown it will be larger than all of the other garden plants with large branches that will provide shade to the birds of the air and a place for them to nest. As we read the parable of the sower of seeds we come to realize that Jesus is talking about the hearts and minds of people, not actual wheat. What does Jesus mean by "birds" here in verse 32? Two times in the gospels Jesus uses the term birds to describe two different things. One is in reference to human affairs and worrying, and the other to describe spiritual, satanic entities. The first is found in Matthew 6:25-26: “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? In the verses, Jesus is demonstrating the care-free lifestyle of birds in comparison to worries that humans face. Jesus is trying to get us to see how birds do not worry, yet they have all that they need, so why do we worry. The worries and cares of this world are experienced by everyone to different degrees. But a constant state of worrying or anxiety will often reveal a double-minded heart, or will lead to double-mindedness which will choke out the life of Christ in us. When we worry or have anxiety, it is usually because we do not fully trust in the good and all satisfying God of creation. A life of constant worry cannot be endured for a long period of time. If worry and anxiety are not dealt with, it will eventually lead to isolation which leads to depression and eventual death; spiritual or physical. This is why we as a church need to understand what Jesus is trying to show us and how important these verses in Mark 4:31-32 are for those who do have the seed of God growing in them. The word that Jesus uses for “nest” in verse 32 means to take up quarters or set up camp; to find a place to dwell. There are many people in this world (maybe even you reading this) that need a place to come and dwell and camp-out for a while. The scorching sun (see Mark 4:5-6) is beating down on them and they cannot endure it any longer. They are afraid, worried, anxious, and they feel alone. They are about to wither away if they cannot find a place of shade to dwell under. This is what the church is meant to be. A tree that has grown with large branches for the "birds of the air" to come to when they need rest. The beautiful thing is once they experience that type of rest, they will no longer desire to leave the secure branches of the shade tree. Jesus, Himself is our example in this. He made it clear who He was calling to Himself in Matthew 11:28 when He said: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." That heart of Christ and mission of Christ is now being continued through His church. Have we allowed the seed of God in us to grow to such an extent that we now are a place of shade and refuge for those facing the scorching trials of this world? But that's not all that Jesus describes these beautiful, large trees as being. He says that the birds of the air will be able to nest "under" us. The word for “under” in verse 32 means to come under the authority of someone as a subordinate; to come under and remain under someone else. Jesus is saying that when this seed has been sown, and when it has become fully grown, it will be a place for the birds of the air to come up under and experience shade. This is a great picture of what we call discipleship today. Not only are we to be a place of rest from the worries of this world but we are also to lead, direct, encourage, and teach those that have come up under us. We are to direct them to God's word and show them what God says about the bombardment of lies from the devil and this world. Lucifer is raging right now like the blazing, burning sun. He has a purpose of destroying lives and keeping people blinded to the gospel. As people of Christ, we need to realize our calling in response to this activity of the devil. Let us be a place that provides shade and instruction to those being afflicted today. This isn't the role of a pastor; this is the calling of anyone who has the seed of God growing inside of them. Trust in the word that was sown in you and let it grow, stand tall, and see how God will use you to show His love to those in need. Questions to Consider: 1. Do you know someone that is facing trials right now? How can you be a place of shade to them? 2. Who is someone that provided shade and instruction to you during trials in your life? Maybe they need the same encouragement they provide to you. I encourage you to reach out to them as the Lord leads.
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