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Sep 16, 20207 min read

September 2020 Meditations

9/8


But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield. ~Psalm 5:11‭-‬12


 

9/9


The appointed times of the Lord. So far, every event has been accurate down to the very day. Will the next fulfillment happen this year?

Maranatha! The King is coming soon.




 

The most amazing thing about Jesus' earthly ministry, beyond the signs and miracles he performed, was also the main reason he would ultimately be put to death: he claimed to be God.

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. ~John 5:18

Tens of thousands heard Him say this firsthand. The gospels were written and circulated while these witnesses were still alive.

While expounding on this divine and eternal relationship, Jesus tells us the reason he's loved by the Father:

"For this reason the Father loves me, because **I lay down my life that I may take it up again.** No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." ~John 10:17‭-‬18

This is so important! Jesus hinges his claim to his unique relationship with the Father (which would make him equal to God) ENTIRELY on his being resurrected from the dead. It does make sense. In order to raise from the dead, Jesus would either have to know the Father was going to make it happen (confirming that he's the Son of God) or knew he had life-giving power in himself, which only God could have.

Jesus is saying "If I'm not raised to life after dying, I'm not God's Son."

The eyewitness didn't condemn Jesus as a heretic, but instead many believed in Him, that He really was God.

This is why Jesus was not just a good teacher to learn from or a role model to be imitated. He's worshiped and adored as God because He came alive after dying.



 

A powerful testimony. This just goes to show that whatever keeps believers from meeting together, whether it's because of a pandemic or persecution, God can build our faith in ways that wouldn't happen otherwise.



 

9/12


Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” ~Revelation 19:6-9


 

This is a well written article comparing the rapture to a traditional Galilean wedding ceremony. I thought I knew about all the connections, but a few the author described genuinely surprised me. Jesus was using marriage language ALL the time in reference to His people in the last days. I can hardly wait!



 

9/13


_____ The War in Heaven _____

1) “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. [[And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time.]] But **at that time your people shall be delivered,** everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2) And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ~Daniel 12:1-2
7) Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8) But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9) The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10) Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11) They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12) Therefore rejoice, you heavens and **you who dwell in them!** [[But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.]]” ~Revelation 12:7-12

 

9/14


This not talking about living a perfect life, but about where our loyalties truly lie. Do we love darkness rather than light, or have we been saved out of darkness?

16) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19) And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and **people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.** 20) For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21) But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” ~John 3:16-21

The verses below are found in 1 John 3:6-10.


 

This is SO important to understand. Please watch this 9 minute video, examining how a person can know if they've really been saved by Jesus.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? ~2 Corinthians 13:5

...Are you saved, Christian?


 
"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live...Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when [[all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out]], those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. ~John 5:25‭, ‬28‭-‬29

 

9/16




 

Breakthrough

A little known rapture passage:

7) But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8) Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10) that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11) that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12) Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13) Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15) Let those of us who are mature think this way... ~Philippians 3:7-15


 

Advocate

"As I live," declares the Lord GOD, "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live." ~Ezekiel 33:11
The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. ~2 Peter 3:9
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ~1 John 2:1
6) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7) Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9) Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10) For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ~Romans 5:6-10


Jesus said:

13) "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14) You are my friends if you do what I command you." ~John 15:13-14
1) “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2) In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 6) I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." ~John 14:1-3, 6


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