Shadows

NKJV© Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

NKJV© Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

NKJV© Job 10:22 A land as dark as darkness itself , As the shadow of death, without any order, Where even the light is like darkness.’”

We live in a world of shadows. In this modern world of technology and the Internet, where anyone can post an “article” claiming to be news, and video deepfakes, how can we possibly know what is true–and what is not? Have you seen the deepfake video of Tom Cruise. Who could know it is not really him? The implications of this technology are frightening indeed. Shadows, shadows of truth.

For those familiar with Bible Prophecy this is just one more example of the deception coming on the whole world. People who are not informed, either of current events, or of Biblical predictions are utterly vulnerable to this deception. Indeed, we all are. Had I not been told the video is fake, altered, I would not have known. The potential for false accusations and other consequences to people’s lives is staggering. At this point in modern technological capabilities, there is little we can do do protect ourselves against it. Only knowing the Bible and staying strictly focused on the truths found therein will keep us from falling for lies. Jesus Himself calls our arch Enemy, Satan, a liar, the Father of Lies. It is clearly evident to students of Scripture that we are living in the Last Days. Satan knows his time is short. He is operating with mad energy and speed to establish his agenda and to try to enslave all mankind, most importantly to prevent people from believing in Jesus.

I think it is safe to assume we can believe nothing that cannot be verified. And with the above technology, even “proofs” become suspect. I am beginning to think that nothing posted online is trustworthy–even when I agree and want to believe it. We live in a time when we must examine all things closely, taking all things to God for confirmation. I am not one who hears from God easily, so this is daunting to contemplate. Again, it helps to know the truth of the Bible; after all, Jesus calls Himself the Truth. In this we can at least filter all knowledge through Biblical standards. If the so-called truth conflicts with or advances ideas that run counter to what we know to be Biblical standards of truth, and most especially righteousness, then we must throw them out. Many in the present day evangelical church are falling victim to deception and cultural compromise because they have embraced “wokeism.” They have failed to let Scripture be the deciding vote against all new standards and cultural ideas that are contrary to God’s published Word–no matter how virtuous and “with it” they make us feel. To our peril!

But to end this post on a positive note. Notice we live in a world of shadows–the shadow of death, both physical and spiritual. But. If we are believers in Jesus Christ as the only way, by His grace alone, to eternal life in heaven, then the death we are heir to is merely a doorway into heaven. We need not fear. It is only a here and now shadow of what is to come. The darkness and despair we suffer under in this life are only shadows, not real in the sense of our ultimate transition from this life to the next. Oh the physical evidence of it may be real–illness, job loss, relationship loss, ostracism–but they are shadows nevertheless. Be encouraged. God has all this under His sovereign control. He will be faithful to rescue us at the right moment in time. In Heaven, there are no shadows, only Light. Hallelujah.

In the heavenly sense, if we believe in Jesus we are already in the Light, as He is Light. We are still earthbound, but we live in Light. If you do not believe in Jesus, know He still loves you and is calling your name. That you are here reading this post is evidence of it. Come to Him today. Come out of your darkness and into His Light. Maranatha!

Why Prophecy Matters

Many, the majority according to polls, Christians are not interested in nor knowledgeable of what is known as End Times Prophecy. The assumption is that God will do what God will do and there is nothing we can do about it anyway–a sense that life is busy, life is hard, I don’t have time for all that. After all, no one knows the day or hour, right? However, knowing prophecy is the only thing that makes sense out of this broken world. God is a God of mercy and justice, love and compassion, but He is not capricious. He is sovereign and yet bad things happen to His children. How do we make sense of that? How do we make sense of evil touching one of God’s Beloved? We only do so by knowing the end of the story. It is in knowing that one day righteousness will utterly truly prevail and evil will be vanquished, that our faith can ride the storms of life without sinking. I don’t begin to claim that is easy, The waters of adversity may be drowning the little faith we have, but when we know that this life is not all there is, this life is not the end, this life and world will one day be gloriously redeemed, cleansed, then we can subdue our doubts about God’s purpose and goodness today, because in the end all things are good. It is the study of prophecy, and more especially the study of End Times prophecies, that gives us that assurance, the foundation upon which to anchor our faith when the flood waters roar. It also explains and makes sense of what we see happening all around the world today, and gives us a timeline for events that are on the horizon. We need not stumble into the future in ignorance.

It is knowing the end from the beginning that gives us hope for tomorrow. Without that where would we be? On what would we stand that is eternal and true? God, in His mercy, has told us what is to come so that we may be prepared, not be afraid. Knowing the end gives us strength for today, even when circumstances are crushing and fearful. Knowing the end gives us hope that despite the evil we see in our world and perhaps affecting our own lives, there is good at the end of it all, justice will prevail, there will be no more tears.

Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, announced His death and betrayal to the Twelve at the Last Supper. Peter, immediately objected and declared that though he die he would never deny Christ. How little we know ourselves. All our best determinations, noble intentions either stand or crumble to ashes in the moments of testing. We can never truly know our own character, our heart, until we are tested. No wonder Jesus asked the disciples to watch and pray–pray that they may not succumb to temptation. And what is the greatest temptation for all of us? To deny Christ. How easy it is to compromise the truth on the altar of acceptance and expedience. Or need. We see that coming with the mask and vaccine requirements in order to buy (go to the grocery store, attend venues, go to school, etc) or sell (go to work, conduct business). There will come a time, though it isn’t here yet, when that acquiescence will include the worship of a person. We are being conditioned now. The temptation will be to submit in order to eat, and provide for our families. Jesus says no. We must remain loyal to Him. He alone is worthy of worship and praise–and obedience. Prophecy predicts that there is a great deception coming on the whole world, if possible even upon God’s elect. We absolutely must know the Bible if we are to avoid deception. Knowing scripture, knowing the events that are coming according to scripture, keeping focused on Jesus is what will help us in the hour of temptation, will help us stay hope-filled in the dark days ahead. Stay encouraged, Beloved, Jesus is coming soon.