Jezebel is alive and living well

Jezebel is alive and living well

‘AWord from the Pastor’ By Clayton Adams

Her name belied her attitude and actions. Her name meant “chaste” but she was anything but chaste. She was the wife of king Ahab. He was Jewish, she was not. King Ahab knew the way of the Lord, she did not. He married her, even though he knew he was not supposed to marry her. Her presence made him weak. She planned, prepared and executed her evil intentions in the kingdom. Her name was Jezebel. (1 Kings 1621) In Revelation 2:19-20, Jesus speaks to the church in the city of Thyatira and says, “I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. 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.”

Whether this person Jesus spoke of was an actual person or the “spirit of Jezebel is not the key principal Jesus is addressing the people tolerating evil. When a church, community or even a nation is dealing with the “spirit” of Jezebel there will always be people who are misled, deceived, and confused by this Jezebel. If a church, community or nation allows the powerful spirit of Jezebel to operate without accountability there will be negative eternal consequences. I believe many churches, communities and most certainly our nation are being mislead by the spirit of Jezebel. Jezebel is alive!

The “Church” meaning Christianity, received its start when Jesus ascended to heaven after His Resurrection. Jesus then poured out His Spirit upon the disciples and others in the Upper Room (Acts chapters 1-4). The church started out well but has since allowed the spirit of Jezebel to take up residence and flourish. Likewise, our country started out well but has allowed many Jezebel's to take up positions of leadership. In our churches, communities and country, Jezebels are exchanging truth and justice for clever deceptions, power and pleasures. Jezebel is living well!

In Romans 1:25 we read, “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Because the truth has been and is being exchanged for a lie there is a price to pay and God has already set the price for this exchange and that price will be paid.

Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:4 “…See to it that no one misleads you.” The only way one is misled is because one allows it to happen. What truths have we exchanged and for what? What have we allowed to happen in our churches, communities and nation?

You must guard yourself against this temptress Jezebel, she is alive and living well!

Clayton Adams is pastor at Earle First Assembly of God. You can e- mail him at cpalaa@ yahoo. com, or find Earle First Assembly on Facebook.