Wednesday, May 16, 2018

The Saints Overcoming Satan (Rev. 12:11-12)


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 08-10-2005

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  The saints overcoming Satan

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  Revelations 12:11-12

 

            Message of the verse:  “11  ‘And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.  12   For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.’”

            This verse and the next continue what is said by the voice that John hears from heaven.  Verse 11 describes how the believers who are on the earth defeat Satan, and they do it because of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. In John’s first letter he also deals with a person overcoming by the blood of the Lamb.  These believers also overcome by their testimony, and also because they did not love their lives so much that they were not willing to lie it down for the cause of Christ.  Jesus Christ laid down His life for everyone in the world, and those who have accepted His forgiveness realize this and thus are willing to do the same.

            Verse twelve tells a story of two places and in one there is rejoicing and in the other there is big trouble about to begin.  Rejoicing because Satan was thrown out of heaven and trouble because he goes to earth knowing that there is little time for him left. 

            Going through the book of Revelations this time has given me a much clearer knowledge about the timing of things and all of the things described in these verses happens at the mid point of the tribulation, so that will mean that Satan will be on earth for the last three and a half years of the tribulation period and at the end of it will be thrown into the lake of fire for 1000 years by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I look at these things and think about the song that I heard on the radio this morning, “God is in Control,” and also think of how it seemed so real that God spoke to my heart about this very fact, I can only praise Him for being in control.  As I was listening to the Indians baseball game last night they were down by five runs going into the 9th inning and it was if the Lord was speaking to my heart that He would show me a sign that he was in control of the investment problems by causing the Indians to will the game and thus I had confidence that they would win and they not only won, but it was the way that they won that convinced me that God was truly causing this to show me that He was indeed in control of these matters.  I said to the Lord that He did not need to do this because I know that He is in control of these matters, but He seemed to say that He would do it anyway.  This is not the first time that this happened to me.  It happened in May of 1981 right before David was going to go in for his open-heart surgery and God seemed to say that He was going to cause the Indians to come back from what was a sure defeat and win the ball game.  I remember that the manager seemed to make a mistake and lost his DH and the Indians picture had to bat and he got a hit, which helped win the ball game for the Tribe.  I told the Lord at that time too that He did not need to give me a sign because I was not asking for one and trusted Him completely that the surgery was completely in His will, but He seemed to say at that time that He would do it anyway and He did.  All I can say that is in all of this I am thankful for these signs, as they do not happen to often in my life, however I do trust the Lord completely that He is in control of all of these events and just like the horrible events that will take place in the tribulation period He is in control of them too.

 

The Word of God has brought refreshment to my heart as I studied it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I do trust the Lord, as I know that He is in control of all theses seemingly bad things that going on in my life.  I trust Him to work them out for our good and for His glory.

Memory verses for the week:  1Thes. 4:3-8


 

For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor; not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.  For God did not call us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.  So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

 

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