Revelation Day 39 - Ordinary Faith

DAY 39
Ordinary Faith
Revelation 14:9-12
 
Let’s step back for a minute and summarize. The two beasts - The Sea Monster and the Beast of the Land - symbolize Roman pressure and propaganda. Roman power was coercive. It bullied and threatened people. It wasn’t afraid to bloody its knuckles to get what it wants. Roman propaganda lured people to the empire’s values, even if that meant compromising exclusive commitment to the Way of Jesus. Behind it all is the dragon himself, the lying accuser, Satan.  

Pressure and propaganda. Rome was a political machine pushing a whole way of life through intimidation and deception. Much of the Roman Way was at odds with the Way of Jesus. We can find Rome-like monsters on every page of history - even today.

That’s the bad news.

But Revelation offers good news. John clearly believes we can resist compromise. The antidote is ordinary faith. Ordinary faith has extraordinary power against pressure and propaganda.

Look at what John says in Rev. 13:10 and 14:12. He “calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people” in both places. “Patient endurance” is steadiness, a determined progress in the same direction over time. Pastor Eugene Peterson talked about “a long obedience in the same direction.”

We’ll say more about ordinary faith tomorrow, but John’s point is woven throughout his strange visions, from Rev. 1 to Rev. 22. Steady faithfulness to Jesus over the long haul of life has power. In fact, it has more power than all the pressure and propaganda thrown our way.

REFLECT
What does ordinary faith look like to you?

PRAY
Father, help me to follow Jesus for the long haul. Give me the strength to have a long obedience in the same direction. Amen.