Fortify Your Power Mightily! Day 355 Through the Bible

Sunrise Over the Gulf of Mexico This Morning - Galveston Island, Texas - with family

My Meditations on Today’s Readings

(Ellipses are mine and are used for contemplation.)

Key Words/Phrases:  The burden against Nineveh; the LORD is slow to anger and great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked; the LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy; a great sign…a woman…being with child and a great, fiery red dragon; enraged, wrath, deceit, lies

Enmity between God and Wickedness – When Enough is Enough – Nahum 1:1 – 3:19 (Facts: What It Says – Summarized) The Vision: The Nineveh that repented under Jonah’s prophetic warning has returned to its cruelty and violence as a pattern of life.  Judgment and doom are pronounced on the city by the prophet Nahum.  The Other Side of God’s Character: God is jealous…and the LORD avenges; The LORD avenges and is furious.  The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath…for His enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not…acquit…the wicked.  Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure…the fierceness of His anger?  A Reminder to the Godly During God’s Wrath: The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him.  The Evil of Nineveh: They…conspire…against the LORD; From you comes forth one who plots evil against the LORD, a wicked counselor; its victim never departs; the mistress of sorceries and multitude of harlotries; your injury has no healing; Upon whom has not your wickedness passed…continually. The Destruction of Nineveh:  Empty, desolate, full of lies and robbery;  your wound is severe; Nineveh is laid waste. Principle:  There does come a time of no return.  (Read Romans 1:18-32)  God had relented when Nineveh repented in sincerity during Jonah’s time as a prophet, but they had soon returned to their wickedness once the threat of doom was past.  Notice the word “continually” referring to a pattern of behavior.

God Judging between the Wicked and the Righteous – Psalm 145:17-21 (Facts: What It Says) Understanding Parts of God’s Character: 1) The LORD is righteous…in all…His ways, 2) gracious…in all…His works. 3) The LORD is near…to all…who call upon Him…to all…who call upon Him…in truth. 4) He will fulfill the desire of…those who fear Him.  5) He also will…hear…their cry…and save them.  6) The LORD…preserves…all…who love Him.  7) BUT…all…the wicked He will destroy.  Our Response to This Knowledge of God: My mouth shall speak…the praise…of the LORD.  8) And all…flesh shall…bless…His holy name…forever and ever.  Principle:  Praise and blessing are the natural response of the saved soul to God’s mercy, grace, righteousness, truth, and salvation.

Enmity between the Godly and the Wicked – Revelation 12 – (Facts: What It Says – Summarized) The woman giving birth to the child and the dragon:  From gotquestions.org: “The woman is Israel – the 12 stars the 12 tribes of Israel; Israel is bringing forth the child, Jesus Christ, from the tribe of Judah; Jesus comes, fulfills His sacrificial mission, and ascends to Heaven, and He will return to set up His kingdom with perfect judgment; the flight of the woman into the wilderness is The Great Tribulation; The Devil makes war with Israel and tries to destroy her.  God protects Israel in the wilderness.” Enmity against Israel follows with enmity against all the saints: And the dragon was…enraged…with the woman, and he went to…make war…with the rest of her offspring…who keep the commandments of God…and…have the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Our hope and truth: Now salvation…and strength…and the kingdom of our God…and the power of His Christ…have come, for…the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night…has been cast down.  And…they…overcame him by…the blood of the Lamb…and by…the word of their testimony…and they did not love their lives to the death. Principle:  Jesus warned of this as did many of the apostles.  The world hated Him, and it will hate His Spirit within us. (John 15:18-25.) This all is part of the unfolding of God’s Plan revealed from Genesis through Revelation.  Charles Stanley, Life Principles Daily Bible, pg. 1547.  We cannot win our battles against Satan with bombs and swords and bullets.  Our invincible weapons are the death of Christ and the Word of God.  These weapons are “mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4).  Satan has a particular hatred for Christians who obey God and who work to represent Jesus to the best of their ability, for they are the only ones who really make a difference for good in the world.

My Lessons and Applications:  Much of the evil we see in the world today is understood by a careful reading of this chapter of Revelation.  Most Christians have sensed this satanic attack most strongly in recent decades against the church and family.  Notice who is attacked – who Satan makes war against:  1) those who keep the commandments of God and 2) those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ.  We have seen this throughout our year of study through the Bible.  The saints were constantly under attack.  Recall the lives of Christ, the apostles, the prophets and every saint we studied.  This is no “easy believism” and no wealth, health and prosperity gospel.  It is also clear from this chapter that much of what we experience as Christians is a result of spiritual warfare.  Note how we overcome Satan: 1) by the blood of the Lamb, 2) by the word of our testimony, 3) by not loving our lives to the death.   Nahum 2:1:  He who scatters has come up before your face.  Man the fort!  Watch the road!  Strengthen your flanks!  Fortify your power mightily!  How do we do this? That is what this past year of fulfilled commitment to prayerfully and faithfully study and meditate daily on God’s Word has been accomplishing as we have been fellowshipping with each other and God through the Holy Spirit.  This is our power - the armor of God - having the helmet of salvation, and the breastplate of righteousness, girded with the belt of truth, shod with the gospel of peace, armed with the shield of faith "to quench the darts of the evil one," and with the sword of His Spirit and Word, "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."(Eph.6:10-18)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Eph. 6:10-13

Charles Spurgeon on Revelation 12

Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.

War always will rage between the two great sovereignties until one or other be crushed. Peace between good and evil is an impossibility; the very pretense of it would, in fact, be the triumph of the powers of darkness. Michael will always fight; his holy soul is vexed with sin, and will not endure it. Jesus will always be the dragon's foe, and that not in a quiet sense, but actively, vigorously, with full determination to exterminate evil. All His servants, whether angels in heaven or messengers on earth, will and must fight; they are born to be warriors--at the cross they enter into covenant never to make truce with evil; they are a warlike company, firm in defense and fierce in attack. The duty of every soldier in the army of the Lord is daily, with all his heart, and soul, and strength, to fight against the dragon.

The dragon and his angels will not decline the affray; they are incessant in their onslaughts, sparing no weapon, fair or foul. We are foolish to expect to serve God without opposition: the more zealous we are, the more sure are we to be assailed by the myrmidons of hell. The church may become slothful, but not so her great antagonist; his restless spirit never suffers the war to pause; he hates the woman's seed, and would fain devour the church if he could. The servants of Satan partake much of the old dragon's energy, and are usually an active race. War rages all around, and to dream of peace is dangerous and futile.

Glory be to God, we know the end of the war. The great dragon shall be cast out and forever destroyed, while Jesus and they who are with Him shall receive the crown. Let us sharpen our swords tonight, and pray the Holy Spirit to nerve our arms for the conflict. Never battle so important, never crown so glorious. Every man to his post, ye warriors of the cross, and may the Lord tread Satan under your feet shortly!