August 28, 2010 Actions And Motives
Today’s Bible Reading: Ezekiel 1; Ezekiel 2; Ezekiel 3; Revelation 2 (The Message)
Scripture Focus:
Revelation 2:29
Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.
Observation:
In Revelation 2 John hears God’s words to the churches. Here are some things that stood out to me:
vs 2–4 “I see what you’ve done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can’t stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out. But you walked away from your first love—why?
vs 10 “Don’t quit, even if it costs you your life. Stay there believing. I have a Life-Crown sized and ready for you.”
vs 13 “I see where you live, right under the shadow of Satan’s throne. But you continue boldly in my Name; you never once denied my Name, even when the pressure was worst, when they martyred Antipas, my witness who stayed faithful to me on Satan’s turf.”
vs 19–20 “I see everything you’re doing for me. Impressive! The love and the faith, the service and persistence. Yes, very impressive! You get better at it every day. But why do you let that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet mislead my dear servants into Cross-denying, self-indulging religion?
vs 23 “I x-ray every motive and make sure you get what’s coming to you.”
vs 24 “scorn this playing around with the Devil that gets paraded as profundity”
Application:
God looks at my actions and my motives. I am completely transparent to him. He asks me to be real, to be faithful, and to endure to the end.
There are two deaths that most of us will face. Unless Jesus comes back first, we will all experience physical death, but the second death is the one of most concern. Jesus asks me to be faithful and to not quit, even if it costs me my life.
Prayer:
Father God, keep me faithful in my actions and motives.
Scripture Focus:
Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.
vs 2–4 “I see what you’ve done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can’t stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out. But you walked away from your first love—why?
