The Challenges and Triumphs of the Church in Thyatira
As I study the seven letters to seven churches in Asia, I discover to my shock and surprise that there is no place that one cannot achieve greatness. I also discovered that every church is a mixture of good and evil, wheat and tares, true and false. For some brethren to make progress in the church in Thyatira is remarkable.
‘And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass’ (Revelation 2:18).
‘Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea’ (Revelation 1:11).
The Strategic and Spiritual Significance of Thyatira
Thyatira was an interesting little place 30 miles from Sadis and Pergamos. The city was built for one purpose – to act as an interceptor to any army approaching Pergamos, the capital of Asia Minor. It delayed any troops long enough to allow Pergamos to get ready to fight them. It was a military garrison to protect Pergamos. It also developed commercial significance as it became center of dying clothes, which were sold in various parts of the known world.
’And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul’ (Acts 16:14).
Lydia was fortunate to worship God in the city of Thyatira and was prospered by God in purple business. The major problem of every Christian is to discover their place in life and face what God has called them to do in righteousness. Ministers who complain of lack of progress in their city must pray to discover their place in life, their relationship with God and their assignment. Believers in Ephesus with the present of Diana goddess made progress. In Pergamos, a place described as the seat of Satan, the devil bowed to the true believers who lived in that city. They made progress and served God in truth and in spirit. The best progress any child of God will make in any place is to serve God. Many believers in many cities are not serving God, yet they complain of lack of progress. There is no church too good or too bad to stop any believer’s progress if he stands for righteousness to the end. Many believers cannot challenge the seat of Satan where they live. The believers in the city of Thyatira were under the attack of a filthy prophetess. Some committed members overcame the spirit of Jezebel in the woman and lived holy.
Spiritual Fortitude and the Path to Greatness
‘I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first’ (Revelation 2:19).
They were able to discern and know the right people to be helped. They were charitable, serviceable and faithful to the end. It was not easy for them at the initial stage but they were patient enough to wait for God’s time. The problem with many believers in many churches is lack of patient. They are carnal and do not have the fruits of the spirit.
‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law’ (Galatians 5:22-23).
When you love God, His word and work, you can face any battle. The love of God will compel you to stay where God assigned you to stay and face the enemy. The joy of victory ahead of you will motivate you to keep fighting, praying and believing God for victory to the end. You will not abandon your duty post, assignment in the church because of a filthy prophetess or an agent of the devil. You will keep seeing victory, joy that wait for you at the end of the tunnel without fainting. Unless you did not discover, find out your place in that church or city. But if you do and face your divine call, assignment and love for God, you will surely make progress. Progress brings joy and joy from God leads to peace, settlement and establishment in life.
To make progress anywhere you are divinely located, you have to be steadfast, committed to your divine given assignment unto the end. To achieve this, you must be born again and manifest the fruits of long suffering which will lead you to greatness in any place. With the above, you will make progress, live a gentle life, do well and faithfully serve God with what He has blessed you with. Once you are settled where God has called you, meek spirit and temperance will be your definition. Many people need to prayerfully cast out the spirit of vagabond and fugitive from their life. You need to get your place in life, know your divine call, assignment in life and manfully fight residential powers. You need to discover the filthy prophetess, enemy of defilement and destruction and fight them in other to make progress.
‘The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger’ (Job 17:9).
‘Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed’ (Psalm 84:9).
When you get born again, discover your place in life, divine assignment, the next battle is to establish permanent relationship with God and His children. This will deliver you from evil association and from any agent of the devil. With that, you will discover and reject the evil influence of filthy prophetess, filthy people and all satanic agents. The victorious believers in Thyatira maintained good life, lived righteous, kept God’s way, refused to be influenced and polluted by the filthy prophetess in their midst. They made progress in their ministry, business and God blessed the works of their hands.