I keep being drawn back to this passage found in Luke’s gospel....

“Now as He (Jesus) drew near, He saw the city (Jerusalem) and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44)

If all you ‘see’ in this passage, is an agonizing warning that Jesus made to God’s beloved city as to what would happen in 70 A.D. when Roman forces would come in and destroy the temple and raze much of the city, then you are not seeing an even deeper message of a ‘prophetic’ warning that lies in here.

Yes, this ‘historical’ event would indeed take place, and there was in fact significant loss of life and a displacement of the population of Jews ending the revolt that was directed against the Roman Empire. But there is so much more here that the Holy Spirit wants us to ‘see’ as He ‘opens the eyes of our understanding’. (Eph. 1:17-18; Luke 24:32,45; 10:21; Matt. 13:11)

I am not suggesting here that every single verse in our Bible has some hidden ‘spiritual prophetic’ layer woven through it... waiting to be discovered; but I sure won’t say the opposite either. All I am saying is the more I study and the deeper I dive into God’s word...the more it is ‘opening up’ to me with pearls of truth that continue to resonate and bring more freedom. And all I want to continue doing here is share with you what I am learning. What you do with this is between you and God (Acts 17:11; Mark 16:20)

Last week, we addressed this idea of an ‘enemy’ coming in and bringing destruction that would be widespread and yes...even affect, or include... children. And Jesus was strongly inferring here that it did not have to be this way, but fallout occurs because the people ‘missed the time of their visitation’. Did not the people in Noah’s day...miss the time of their visitation? Did Jesus not foretell that the days leading up to His return would be ‘as it was in the days of Noah’?

Did Paul not warn of coming destruction that would affect not only those who ‘do not know God’ but also those ‘who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ’? (2 Thess. 1:7-8). Did Peter not suggest something along these same lines? (1 Pet. 4:17-18)

Friends...here me out, once again- Jesus did not come to destroy people's lives; He came to save them from the wrath of God that was, is, and will continue to come on the earth (Rom. 5:9;1:18; John 3:18). Let me say it again...it is ‘not the will of God for any to perish...but for all to come to repentance’ (2 Pet. 3:9). And ‘unless we repent, we will all likewise perish!” (Luke 13:3,5)

So let’s go back to His lament there in Luke 19, where He is literally weeping...and cries out: “IF you had only known...what brings you true peace...”. Take a look at John 16:33 where Jesus shares this with His disciples – “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world...These things I have spoken to you...that ‘in Me’ you may have peace.”

Did you catch that part where Jesus says this peace is found...”IN Me”? To be ‘in Christ’ means to be a ‘new creation’...where ‘old things have passed away and all things become new’...in this life, on THIS side of heaven! (2 Cor. 5:17). To be ‘in Christ’ means we are walking as He walked and we keep the commandments of God’ (1 John 2:3-6). To be ‘in Christ’ means we are ‘in the ark’, that place of refuge where we ‘abide under the shadow of the Almighty’(Ps. 91:1-2). And those who are abiding in that ‘secret place’ will not be affected when the ‘terror of night’ comes upon the earth nor be affected by the ‘arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that walks in darkness nor the destruction that lays waste at noonday’ (Ps. 91:5-6; Matt. 24:42-44)

And when “a thousand may fall at your side, and thousand at your right hand...it will not come near you”(Ps. 91:7-8). And why is that? “Because you have made the Lord who is your refuge...your dwelling place...and no evil shall befall you nor shall any plague come near your dwelling...for He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways...” (9-11)

Do you not see it? To ‘dwell in that secret place’ is to ‘abide in Jesus’, as in you ‘remain’ or ‘continue’ in Him. This is so radically different than simply ‘making a profession of faith’ and telling folks you ‘believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins’ as you 'join a local church'.

To ‘abide in Jesus is how lasting fruit is produced (John 15:1-8,16) and we know what will happen to 'trees' that don’t bear good, lasting fruit- (Matt. 3:10; 7:19; 13:36-43; Luke 13:6-9) To abide in Jesus means we ‘no longer continue to practice sin’ (1 John 3:6). When people come across these passages, if they don’t flat out reject them, then they at least ask, in frustration, which I can appreciate and understand- “How can these things be?” And the answer is simple...you must be ‘born again’ (John 3:3,5). And whoever is ‘born of God’...we are told...”does NOT sin” nor ‘can they sin because they have been born of God’ (1 John 3:9). Then, John continues on: “We know whoever is born of God does not sin...and the wicked one does not touch him.” (1 John 5:18)

I know...you want to say...”But I have been ‘born again!”, or so you thought...or were told. And no doubt, people would want to rebuke, or at least chastise me for throwing a cloud of self-doubt over so many sincere church members. But did Paul not exhort us to ‘examine ourselves and to test ourselves to see if we were even ‘in the faith’ and if Jesus was in us’? (2 Cor. 13:5). I’d rather be guilty of giving you pause and do some serious soul/heart searching, than to be like the false prophets we are warned about who deceive the masses telling them...”you shall have peace...nothing bad will happen to you”...even when they continue to walk according to the dictates of their own heart/flesh’. (Jer. 23:16-20; Ezek. 13:1-10,15-17; 1 Thess. 5:1-3; Rom. 8:13)

Would you like to learn more what it actually means to ‘abide in Jesus’...and ‘how’...one begins to do this? Meet me back here tomorrow. :- )