20-20 Blog

Scripture Focus:

Amos 4: 6 You know, don’t you, that I’m the One
who emptied your pantries and cleaned out your cupboards,
Who left you hungry and standing in bread lines?
But you never got hungry for me. You continued to ignore me.”

vs 8 You never got thirsty for me.
vs 10 You didn’t notice me.
vs 12 Prepare to meet your God!

Amos 5:6 So seek God and live! You don’t want to end up
with nothing to show for your life
But a pile of ashes, a house burned to the ground.
For God will send just such a fire,
and the firefighters will show up too late.

Observation:

Trials and disaster appear to be God’s way of getting our attention. Blessing us doesn’t seem to do it. But even disaster doesn’t always correct our perspective. According to Amos, we don’t recognize that God caused the disaster to get our attention.

Amos 4:12 is probably the scariest verse in the Bible: Prepare to meet your God! I suppose the feeling it inspires would depend on where you stand spiritually, or how eager you are for the appearing of Jesus.

Application:

James tells us that trials test my faith and produce patience, but Amos indicates that trials can sometimes be God’s way of getting my attention when I’m living a life that ignores God, so when a trial appears, it’s time to take a good look at my life and ask myself some hard questions, such as how would I stand if I heard the words, “Prepare to meet your God!”

Prayer:

Father God, help me live my life in such a way today, that I am prepared to meet you at any moment. May I be hungry and thirsty for you and be aware of you today.

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Scripture Focus:

Revelation 7:13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Observation:

I think it was yesterday that I read about the martyrs in Revelation. Today we read about those who went through the great tribulation and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, a picture of Jesus washing away their sins. In both cases, God has a special place for them in heaven.

Application:

There are those who have suffered great atrocities, and have even been murdered for their faith. While no one would ever desire such a thing, it is nice to know that God sees and cares about the persecution of believers.

Prayer:

Father God, may I remember those who are being persecuted—remember to pray for them and help them when I can.

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Scripture Focus:

Revelation 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’

Observation:

Four of the seven churches are addressed in chapter 2 of Revelations. In each case they are told to listen to what the Spirit is saying, and they are also encouraged to be overcomers. Overcomers get to eat from the tree of life in Paradise, they won’t be hurt by the second death, they are given hidden manna to eat and a new name written on a white stone, and they are given power over nations.

Application:

This life is my temporary testing ground. Compared to eternity, it is very temporary, indeed. Oh, that I would keep the larger picture in mind, and be faithful to God through the hardships that come my way, for only those who overcome will be with God in Paradise.

Prayer:

Father God, may I be faithful to you always. Teach me to overcome the small temptations and trials, so I’m ready if a big one should come along.

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Scripture Focus:

1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

Observation:

When Jesus returns the Bible says we will all give an account of our lives. John urges us to abide in Jesus now, so that when Jesus returns, we will stand before him confidently without shame for how we’ve lived our lives.

Application:

I have to admit I’ve mulled over this issue a bit lately. I’m not a spring chicken anymore. I see my parent’s generation declining rapidly and saying good-bye to this world. If God wills, I may have another 30 years of life left—but what is that? It will pass more quickly than my first 55 years have.

Soon I will stand before Him, and how will I feel? Will I feel confident, or ashamed?

John gives us a clue about what will matter on that day.
1 John 2:10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

So here’s the question: Did I love people or things? And how does my life show that I either love people or things?

Prayer:

Father God, thanks for this reminder again today about what matters to you. May I be one who always choose people over things!

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John 11:25–26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Observation:

The older I get the more I think about death and what it will be like to die. I can say I know where I’m going after death, but the fact it, I have to take it by faith. I’ve never been there or seen it. After telling Martha, “Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die,” Jesus asks her pointedly: “Do you believe this?”

Application:

Jesus asks me the same question today. “Do you believe this?” In faith I can say yes. Someday, the faith will be sight, and what a day that will be!

Prayer:

Father God, though this earthly body will perish, I believe you when you say I will live and never die. Thank you for providing an eternity with you for those who believe in you!

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Jude 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.

Observation:

This short book of Jude is full of passion for God, hatred of evil, and a desire for holiness. It ends with this amazing benediction. Jude understands that some will have a fear that they won’t make it, they won’t measure up, and so he praises God (and assures us) that God is able to keep us from stumbling to the point where we turn our back on him. God is able to present us faultless before his throne in heaven.

This is a God who deserves glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.

Application:

I sometimes feel a little shaky about the idea of standing before God on the Day of Judgment—not because I doubt my salvation, or I’m trusting in my own works of righteousness to “qualify” me for heaven instead of hell, but because I know what an awesome God he is.

Even Isaiah cried out, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” when he encountered a vision of God.

These verses in Jude are comforting to me. He is able to keep me from stumbling. He will present me faultless before the throne of his glory with exceeding joy! I don’t need to worry about what will happen when I see him. It doesn’t depend on me. It depends on Him—and He is able.

Prayer:

Father God, if I depended on myself to get me to heaven and to stand before you faultless, I’d be in big trouble, but I’m depending on you, and you are able. Thank you for the peace of mind that brings!

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Scripture Focus:

Psalm 39:4 Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am.
1 Corinthians 15:42–44 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

Observation:

My father’s birthday was this month. He would have been 86. He died 7 years ago at the age of 78. My father appeared strong and invincible to me when I was young, and even after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and retired from being a missionary, he stayed active and busy helping others.

There came a point, though, when my father’s body was spent, and he came to the threshold that we must all walk across, unless we’re still alive when Jesus returns.

David says, in Psalm 39, make me know the measure of my days, but Paul lets us know that the end is just the beginning. He tells us that our frail human body is to our new body after death what a seed is to a flower. There’s no comparison, really.

Application:

First, be aware of the hourglass of time. Don’t let the grains of sand slip thoughtlessly away. Do the things that matter. And secondly, don’t be afraid when the end comes. Unbelievable beauty awaits those who have put their trust in the God who raises the dead.

Prayer:

Father God, show me what matters today, and help me to do it.

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