20-20 Blog

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.

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Scripture Focus:

Mark 5:34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
Mark 5:36 “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
Mark 6:5–6 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief.
Mark 6:27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison.
Mark 6:50 “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
Mark 6:56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Observation:

Today I’ve listed a series of amazing events involving Jesus. Mostly the stories have happy endings, but they all involved faith in Jesus—belief. I don’t claim to understand how belief works, but I know that it’s a necessary ingredient to seeing and receiving great things from God.

It seems to me, though, that belief is not wishing. It’s faith in a person who really does have the power to grant my desire.

Sometimes belief lands you in a hot spot—like John the Baptist. He languished in prison and then was beheaded. We never know where our belief might ultimately take us, and we have to be willing to entertain the possibility of suffering or death, but most of the time belief enables us to do great things or accept great things—such as healing—from God.

Application:

Jesus says to me today, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” Will I believe in his power to perform what I need in my life today, or will He marvel because of my unbelief?

Prayer:

Father God, I choose to believe in you today to be my complete and adequate source of life and power to fulfill the mission you’ve given me.

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Scripture Focus:

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Observation:

Daniel and Joseph are two of my favorite Bible characters because they were both dealt a cruel and unjust blow during the height of their youth, yet they both determined to remain faithful to God.

Faithfulness takes different forms, depending on the circumstances. Joseph became the best slave he could be, and he avoided sexual temptation. Daniel determined not to eat food that was most likely offered to idols first.

Both young men were used of God as a positive force in the great scheme history.

Application:

Oh, that I would be as faithful during times of small inconveniences or large disasters! It starts with a decision—a decision to remain faithful in spite of the circumstances.

Prayer:

Father, help me see the bigger picture when I encounter trouble, and help me take the high road.

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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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Jeremiah 45:5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the LORD. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.”

John 21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Observation:

Many places in the Bible speak of God’s blessing on his people, but there are places, like we see in these two verses, where the people of God can expect to struggle, even die. In God’s view, it’s more important to glorify God than to live in comfort or to even live at all. Sometimes, as in Baruch’s case, God promised him only his life in the midst of great trouble.

God rightly sees the bigger perspective. What happens on this small planet is a blip compared to eternity, but it’s an important blip, because how we handle life here sets the stage for eternity.

Application:

Will my life, no matter what the circumstances, bring glory to God and eternal life with him someday? It helps to put my life into perspective. These are momentary struggles compared with eternity!

Prayer:

Father God, may I live today with eternity in mind. May I glorify you in the circumstances of life today.

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Scripture Focus:

1 Peter 2:20–23 …But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
“ Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

Observation:

This goes against every grain in our body—first of all to suffer, and secondly to suffer in silence, but Jesus is our example, and we are called to be like him—to take it when someone reviles us and not revile in return, but instead to commit ourselves to God and let him be the judge. Wow.

Application:

To do this takes humility. I keep coming back to this concept in my Bible reading, and every time I do, I realize that I have a long way to go to achieve the status of “humble.” However, if I’m going to be like Jesus I must be willing to suffer and to do so humbly, trusting in God to be the judge.

Prayer:

Father God, help me to be willing to be like Jesus.

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Scripture Focus:

Hebrews 2:10-11 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren

Observation:

These verses connects sanctification—the process whereby we become more and more like Jesus—with suffering. Jesus, the captain of our salvation, was made perfect through sufferings, and he counts those who suffer as part of a brotherhood, kindred souls.

Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:12 that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Application:

Many Christians around the word suffer for their profession of faith. In America, Christians are wimps in comparison.

I don’t like to suffer. I don’t know of anyone who does, but it’s undeniable that some parts of character can only be learned through suffering. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. He suffered for me. Am I willing to suffer for Him?

Prayer:

Father God, I’m not asking for suffering, but I do want you to mature me as a Christian. Help me endure whatever suffering comes my way.

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