50-Day Spiritual Adventure Day 1 - Sunday, 2/22/09
Today I begin blogging daily devotional thoughts to guide you, my reader, through the 50 Day Spiritual Adventure on which our church family, the Evangelical Covenant Church of New London, MN, is embarking. I’m excited about this Adventure, and I’m sure as you partner with me, you'll be too...what's not exciting about longing for the Lord's Return, eh? Together let’s believe that these 50 days will be remembered as a spiritual highlight in our lives and in the life of our church.

Whenever I make up my mind to move forward aggressively in my walk with the Lord, the enemy quickly counterattacks. I expect you have found this to be true in your experience also. So don’t be surprised if your good intentions to read the Scriptures and thoughts I'll be posting here are challenged by unexpected interruptions, strange intrusions on your time, or downright distractions. Try to find a consistent time to read and reflect on God's Word, and maybe even journal your thoughts. It will go a long way in keeping you focused.

This week we will be reading Old Testament passages from Daniel and chapters from Revelation in the New Testament. This is to start to familiarize ourselves with apocalyptic writings. I want us all to start strong. That’s important! So let’s make week one a great beginning to this exciting “Remarkable Revelation” Adventure we are in together.

Some guidelines to remember for understanding Revelation or Daniel as "Apocalyptic" literature in the Bible:

1. Revelation had historic relevance for first-century Christians.
2. The book's purpose was to encourage steadfast faith during persecution.
3. Apocalyptic disclosures characteristically came through visions.
4. The overall picture is more important to grasp than the small details.
5. The different visions don't always unfold in chronological order.
6. The mysterious imagery roots back into the writings of Daniel (OT book).
7. Along with the numerous symbols, certain numbers have special meaning.
8. The vantage point of the narrative can shift from earthly to heavenly.
9. Cosmic catastrophes characterize a number of Bible passages.
10. It takes time to get your mind acclimated to this unusual approach.

Think about it. This literature has not only been a comfort to persecuted believers down through the centuries (i.e., a literature for the oppressed), but also at the same time has engaged the best of Bible scholars studying it with great seriousness, trying to figure out the "last things" (or eschatology). God gave us Daniel and Revelation to "...show his servants what must soon take place." (Rev. 1:1) Are you ready?


Scripture Reading: Revelation 1:1-20
Question: If you were to summarize in a short sentence or two what this passage is about, what would you say?