When Darkness Rules, What Do We Do?

Trust in God in everything that you do, and
take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to resist in the evil day!

Fred R. Coulter—June 12, 2021

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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services! When evil rules, what do we do? We see it coming! It can come with:

• individuals
• society
• government
• education
• immigration
• drugs that people take

Think about it! We will eventually be affected by it!

Matt. 6—Here's what Jesus said, and it also helps us understand why human nature is against God.

Matthew 6:22: "The light of the body is the eye…." It's an amazing thing that even doctors can tell an awful lot about your health by looking at your eyes.

"…Therefore, if your eye be sound, your whole body shall be full of light" (v 22).

It is true that when you have darkness ruling in you, you have a lot of sickness and disease. Light is what, as we know it? We have electricity! We have the spirit of man, which gives us life!

What happens when your body is full of darkness? It affects the way you think and the way your body reacts, altogether!

That's why I entitled this When Darkness Rules, What Do We Do? Because we can see it coming, coming and coming! For example, big tech has established itself as the total sensory of speech in America. And there's a lot of fake news! What does that do? That spreads darkness!

It's interesting, whenever there's trouble and problems like there are now, you follow the money! Why do we have all of these fake reports about how to handle the pandemic? Even scientists lied! They took the darkness into their system and lied keeping the light from coming to the people.

Well, they got dark money from China! They were paid! The big tech, ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN all bow to China! That's why you never hear anything bad about China. Darkness is coming through China, through their money to shut down the truth.

They're not paying those networks that I mentioned, but they have been told in no uncertain terms that if they want part of the market in China you better not say anything against them.

Verse 23: "But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness….[Isn't that true?] …Therefore, if the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!"

Let's see what Jesus said right at the beginning of His ministry. We can say metaphorically, but literally true; let's look at it this way: the Holy Spirit is Light. What is the spirit of Satan the devil? Darkness!

Let's read John 3:16, but then the verses after, because those become very important.

John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him… [constantly believing on an ongoing basis] …may not perish, but may have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world that He might judge the world…" (vs 16-17).

Jesus said later that He's going to judge! That's not a contradiction; you have to read carefully how He judges.

"…but that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged, but the one who does not believe has already been judged because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment: that the Light… [Christ, the Light of the world] …has come into the world, but men loved darkness…" (vs 17-19).

Stop and think about how many things are done at night. How many people get themselves in trouble when they're doing things at night?

"…but men loved darkness rather than the Light because their works were evil" (v 19).

Take that one thing and apply it just to the illegal drug business. Apply it to anything else you want to apply it to, but it's true.

Verse 20: "For everyone who practices evil hates the Light…" That's where we are today!

• they hate everything about God
• they hate the Word of God
• they want to get rid of the Word of God

Once they get rid of the Word of God they're coming after us, and all of those other ones who are labeled Christian in the world, who want to stand for Christ! It's going to be something when it comes!

"…and does not come to the Light, so that his works may not be exposed" (v 20).

God know everything! Even in some cases a lot of the things that they do that are evil do get exposed! How? People are looking for truth! There are some who are looking for truth in different aspects of what's going on in the world and in the nation today.

Verse 21: "But the one who practices the Truth comes to the Light…

That's why Sabbath is important. We're coming to God, we're coming to Christ:

• every Sabbath
• every Holy Day
• every day when we pray and study

"…so that his works may be manifested, that they have been accomplished by the power of God" (v 21). That's quite an interesting statement!

Let's see how Paul describes how Satan is working; working in the world all the time:

Ephesians 2:1: "Now, you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you walked in times past according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air…" (vs 1-2)—that's Satan the devil! He's got a lot of helpers out there.

"…the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience" (v 2).

Remember what was said of Satan concerning Judas Iscariot: Jesus put into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Him.

Remember about Ananias and Sapphira who held back the money: They lied and the Holy Spirit in Peter understood that they lied! Whenever you listen to lies you are listening to darkness!

"…the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience" (v 2).

What makes them go out and do the things that they do? To riot? To loot? To burn? To kill? You can tie that all in with all of those working in the abortion business that are locked into darkness. All of those things.

Look at what's happening in the administration now. Biden doesn't run a thing, but he's surrounded by people of darkness that everything he does is geared to destroy.

Why did God allow this? Stop and think about it! Before Biden won the Presidency—which was by fraud—good times, a lot of employment, lots of money! But how many people were turning to God?

When you have good times, that's not the time to avoid God; that's the time to come to Him. If you don't the darkness is going to come and it's going to cut you off!

Satan is "…the prince of the power of the air the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience" (v 2).

That's everybody who are breaking the commandments of God! That tells you how much darkness there is in the world.

Verse 3: "Among whom also we all once had our conduct in the lusts of our flesh… [that's how he appeals] …doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest of the world."

Now let's see a very interesting explanation: Ephesians 6:12: "Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood… [it's not the people we see; it's the power within and behind the people] …but against principalities and against powers, against the world rulers of the darkness of this age…" World rulers! Demons!

• What are they trying to do?
• What is the overall goal you have heard, which is true?
  • they want a one-world system
  • they want everyone to conform to it
  • they want to do away with Christianity

Think about how much they've already destroyed Christianity in the world with the pandemic. Some churches out in the world have never recovered. So, they've succeeded in that.

How about the Churches of God? That's another story, because it's mixed in with other things as well, which we'll cover at another time! How far up the ladder does it go?

"…against the spiritual power of wickednessin high places" (v 12).

When you read Rev. 13, it comes down to the beast and the false prophet. What's going to happen when Satan finally gets his kingdom on this earth? Organized the way that he wants?

There's a song in The Messiah by Handel that really very stunning, and it's taken right from this part of the Bible in Isa. 60:

Isaiah 60:2: "For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth…"

When you're in darkness you're also in blindness; you have not light to see.

"…and gross darkness the people…" (v 2). How bad is it going to get? It's going to get pretty bad!

"…but the LORD shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you" (v 2).

So, the end result is going to be the resurrection! But the power of darkness works.

Isn't it interesting when you look at what Christ had to do? In order to be the sacrifice for the sins of the people, He had to let Himself be taken over—not internally, but externally—by the powers of darkness.

They came to arrest Jesus and take Him away, but He told them:

Luke 22:53: "When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not stretch out your hands against Me; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

Since all of us as human being, before God calls us we're under the power of darkness. In order for Him to be a perfect sacrifice He had to let the power of darkness take Him and think that they could exterminate Him and get rid of Him! So, they took Him and led Him away.

What do we have today? Remember that we read 'gross darkness shall come; shall cover the earth!' Think about that! Everything is going to be deceived!

Revelation 12:9: "…the Devil and Satan, who is deceiving the whole world…"

1-John 5—not only at that time was that true, it is also a prophecy down to our time. Many of the things in 1-John are actually prophecies of the end-time as well as what was happening at that time. This is what we have to know. Remember that Jesus said to walk in the Light!

1-John 5:19: "We know that we are of God…" How do we knowwe are of God?

• we keep His commandments
• we have His Spirit
• we're striving to live by every word of God

That way we know that we are of God!

When the powers of darkness come against us, don't be surprised and ask God, 'Oh, what's happening?' Because they will come!

"…and that the whole world lies in the power of the wicked one…"

The whole world! That's exactly what is in Rev. 12:9; he's deceiving the whole world, so therefore, darkness is covering the earth! Think about that when this whole system gets going.

Let me just say that the only perfect document of living, and eventually of government when Christ returns, is the Word of God and the expulsion of Satan.

How many times have you heard about the U.S. Constitution that it's 'the best that has ever been in the world'? It may be! 'It's based on Christian principles.' A lot of it may be and is! But look the weakness of it when it comes to stopping darkness and evil taking over! Though the Constitution says freedom of speech, it's already cut down by 50-60%! What's going to happen when they really get the power?

Let's see what the whole world will do. Many times we've been to Isa. 5, so we'll look at it from what we're talking about today. But we will see that darkness comes just like leaven! What is it about leaven? A little leaven leavens the whole lump!

In Isa. 5 there are six woes, and there is one more a little later on. So, there are seven woes!Let's think about all the nations today. Think about all the cities and how fragile we really, really are. Did you know that with less than 50 people you could stop transportation and great portions of the electric grid? Don't need many! But there are millions and millions of people. We're so used to flipping on the switch and having a light and doing what we're doing here.

The cities are something! Have you ever watched To Catch a Smuggler on NatGeo? That's amazing; you ought to watch it and see what people do: smuggle in drugs. All the power of darkness! But when they do a shot of a flyover a city and you see all the big buildings. Then all the apartments and the suburbs, especially when they do it at night all the lights are on.

Isaiah 5:8: [#1]Woe to those who join house to house…"

Look at all the trouble that they've had in New York City with the China virus, all cooped up together. If you think prices are high out here in California, go to New York; people are fleeing like crazy.

It's a curse "…that lay field to field, until there is no place left…" (v 8).

• think about the big cities and everything that is there
• think about cutting off the electricity
• think about cutting off the gasoline
• think about cutting off the food going to the stores

Could happen! It's already happened a little bit. So, a little word to the wise: you better have a little nest egg of something at home, because it's going to happen again!

"… and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land! The LORD of hosts swore in my ears, 'Truly, many houses shall be deserted, even great and fair, without inhabitant'" (vs 8-9).

Why? There will eventually be a captivity! But in a sense this is happening in New York City right now. They have these huge apartment buildings and they're all crammed in there like a beehive.

Verse 11: [#2]Woe to those who rise up early in the morning to go after strong drink; who continue late into the night while wine inflames them!"

Just add in there all the drugs! When do people take most of the drugs? At night and on weekends!

Verse 12—the music: "And the lyre, and the harp, the drum, and pipe, and wine, are at their feasts…"

Think about all of the things that people do for pleasure. All the music is all corrupt today! If I would play The Messiah to a group of young people not associated with anything to do with God, they would think that's the worst music in the world, because there's no shouting, yelling, screaming, jumping up and down, and flashing lights!

"…but they do not regard the work of the LORD…. [everything around you is the work of the Lord] …Yea, they do not see the work of His hands. Therefore, My people are gone into exile because they have no knowledge, and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude is dried up with thirst" (vs 12-13). All that's coming because darkness is coming!

Verse 14: "Therefore, the grave has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth without limit…"

We haven't seen many dead, yet, but that's coming! If you've been following the reports that young people get this vaccine that they get inflamed hearts. They don't need it, but the darknesssays you must have it. You can't come to college without it. But if you take it, you may drop dead and never get there.

"…and down goes her glory and multitude and brawlers, and he who rejoices in her, shall go down into it. And man is bowed down, and men are brought low, and the eyes of the lofty are humbled" (vs 14-15).

Stop and think: the more Bibles that are out there in the world today the less people read them. But it's there! They don't know that it's a witness against them! They don't know that it's a way to get out of the trap of darkness they are in! Satan has so infiltrated everything called Christian that it is pagan, indeed! So, 'why not accept some of these other religions,' they say. Little do they know:

Verse 16: "But the LORD of hosts is exalted in judgment, and God, the Holy One, is sanctified in righteousness."

Remember that Jesus said that He didn't come to judge the world, but they will be judged by His Word! Everyone! It doesn't matter if you know God or not! Besides, for those of us in the Church, it's not a happy event to be caught living in a nation that is declining and falling into the dark pit of destruction! It's difficult!

Verse 18: [#3]Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin with cart ropes;

How about all the sexual perversion that they're teaching kids in school? This is hideous that the school systems have adopted absolute corruption, that if an 8-year-old boy says he wants to be a girl they start giving him the hormone chemicals to change him without their parents' permission!

If there's anything that's darkness, that is! And it's vice versa! When you see some of the pitiful people victimized by this—and they tell their story of what happens to them—it's just absolutely tugs at your heart. Such a perversion of darkness that they could go against the very creation of God and say, 'This is good.'

Remember the Proverb: There's a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death!

Jer. 10:23—here he is standing there warning the people, seeing all these evil things going on. He says:

Jeremiah 10:23: "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment…" (vs 23-24). That's what needs to be with the people!

We don't know if there may be a respite between now and when the events will come in greater power, but we do know that we are reaching a point that sooner or later darkness takes over and you can't turn back.

If you don't believe that is true, witness Venezuela. The only way that it was turned back in WWII was by mighty armies and great destruction. What do you think is going to happen when Christ returns? Great destruction because:

• the evil and darkness gets so entrenched there is nothing you can do but destroy it
• they have made up their minds
• they will not change

Isaiah 5:19: "Who say, 'Let Him hurry and hasten His work, so that we may see it…'"

So, they're out there taunting. We may see it, so they're out there taunting, 'All right, if there's a God let's see it!' Well, they're going to be just like the people standing out there looking at the ark for seven days. Noah and all the animals were in there seven days before it started to rain. I'll bet that there were people standing out there,

Noah! Noah! Where is your God? Where is your rain? Where is your flood? You look kind of stupid in that ark!

And then day seven—BOOM!—the fountains of the deep broke up and the heavens began to pour down rain and they said:

Noah! Noah! Open the door!

Did any escape? I imagine that were a lot of them running up hills trying to get to the top of the hill. But what happened? God put 15cubits of water over the top of the mountains! No one—except those in the ark—survived! But it comes at a time when they don't expect! Yes, God's purpose will come!

Verse 20: [#4]"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…" That's where we are on a profound level!

I'm bringing this up not just to point out how bad that is, because it is bad. But for us, that we need the Spirit of God to strengthen our mind, to strengthen our resolve because we need to stand against it, and it may cost us our physical lives. All of us as elders would be derelict if we didn't bring it out to the people and also to the world.

Darkness is coming! It's going to cover the earth with gross darkness!

"…who put darkness for light and light for darkness…" (v 20).

Everything is upside down and backward! They release criminals so they can wander the street and plunder the citizenry. But those who went to the capital on Jan. 6, 2021, are still in jail with no representation or attorney or bail. Everything is upside down!

Verse 21: [#5]Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!…. [that's just the way it is; they think they're wise] …[#6]Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: who justify the wicked for a bribe…[every heard the name 'Hunter'?] …and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!" (vs 21-23).

Now, here's the root cause, for it all; v 24: "Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame burns up the chaff; their root shall be like rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up like dust because... [the cause of it all] …they have cast away the Law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel."

That's what we've done as a nation! Look at where we started; look at the things we survived and went through. And look where we (this nation) are today!

• more vulnerable
• more helpless
• in terrible shape
• we are $30-trillion in debt

Guess who owns that debt? China owns most of it! Then they use that to buy other people to do their bidding, which is against us, because they want to destroy us. Not by a broadside attack, but:

• through wrong policies
• through sickness and disease through lies

This country is virtually owned by China! They will be the ones to pull the plug. So, if you don't have something stashed away—some food and things—when the dollar collapses, which it will because China can pull the plug at any time. When it does we will be instantly kissing-cousins of Venezuela. That's what happens when darkness rules!

(break@43:08)

Darkness can take over and be so entrenched that there is nothing that can be done except destroy it. That's why the Flood covered the whole world. It reached the point that nothing else could be done. They wouldn't listen. Today we're not quite there, yet. But let's see what's happening and what has to happen.

The Lord is there to help and maybe even give a little respite. We do not know! There are examples of that in the Bible, remember what happened after Manasseh? It was so bad then it was really terrible! But then Josiah came and there was a short revival for about 12 years. But even with the revival and even with the righteousness of the king and the priests, the people didn't turn.

So, when he was killed when he went out to battle—and was told not to go out to battle—then Jeremiah gave his Lamentations because he knew that everything that God has said would take place was coming.

Here we have it today; Isa. 59 shows that there could be some hope of a little relief temporarily, but here's what has to happen:

Isaiah 59:1: "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor is His ear heavy that it cannot hear. But…" (vs 1-2).

The answer comes up, Why? Why won't God hear? Because most people are praying for their own way instead of repenting to God!

There are those people who believe in the rapture so strongly you can't even tell them about the resurrection. But they believe that when bad times come they're going to escape. Well, their prayers are not the will of God!

Verse 2 tells you why: "But your iniquities…"

All of those who believe in a rapture are Sunday-keeping! That iniquity every week!

"…have come between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear" (v 2).

That's quite a thing when you come to that point! It was also told to Jeremiah, 'Pray not for this people for I will not hear!' It has to get pretty bad for it to be like that. Here's why:

Verse 3: "For your hands are defiled with blood…"

#1 on the list: abortion
#2 on the list: murder
#3 on the list: all the medical malpractices
#4 on the list: death with drugs

By the way, they have confiscated enough fentanyl—which comes from our lovely neighbors from China—recently since Biden opened the floodgates of our southern border—to kill every American twice over. How is that? That tells you how bad our sins really, really are! That God would have them send that death-dealing fentanyl in such quantities. Just a small amount. What they do is add it to the drugs, just a little bit, and now parents wake up and go to wake up their young adult children and they're dead in bed because of the fentanyl.

"…and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perverseness" (v 3).

Doesn't that sound like the governments: federal, state… There are some few who are trying. You have to give them credit for that, trying to do what's right. But they're only going back to what should be right rather than to God. That's the big difference. They're returning to an idea—which is pretty good—but not returning to God.

"…your tongue has muttered perverseness" sounds like the fake news!

Verse 4: "None calls for justice, nor does anyone plead for truth… [they don't like to hear the truth] …they trust in vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity."

This is what God sees when He looks down here. We can see on the television and right now I'm getting so tired of looking at the stupid news. So, what do you turn to? I don't put any trust in it, but I watch some sports!

How many people are so discussed that they don't know what to do or where to go. They don't turn to God, they turn to entertainment and things like that, and they're still deceived!!

So, here's what they're doing with all their plans. Think about all these major spending bills in Congress today.

Verse 5: "They hatch adders' eggs and weave the spider's web; he who eats their eggs dies, and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper."

In other words, once you do down the path of darkness, there's nothing you can do to make it right if you don't repent.

Verse 6: Their webs shall not become clothing… [all their schemes are not going to work] …nor shall they cover themselves with their works; their works are works of iniquity, and the acts of violence are in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. They have not known the way of peace, and there is no justice in their ways. They have made crooked paths for themselves; whoever goes therein shall not know peace" (vs 6-8).

That's sounds just exactly like what's going on! How much will it increase? How much will it intensify? We don't know!

Verse 9: "Therefore, justice is far from us… [because you're not seeking true justice] …nor does righteousness overtake us…. [because you're not willing to repent and love God] …We wait for light… [we expect it all to work out good; 'he's got a good plan, follow him'] …but behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. We grope along the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes. We stumble at noonday as in the night; among those who are strong, we are like dead men" (vs 9-10). That's the situation that we are looking at!

Let's see some words that Jesus said. This is just before the Passover. There were a lot of people coming after Him. They wanted to see and hear Him; they were at the temple and all of this sort of thing. But how many repented?

John 12:35: "Then Jesus said to them, 'Yet, a little while the Light is with you….. [He is the Light of the world] …Walk while you have the Light… [that's what we need to do, walk in the Light, the Light of the Word of God] …so that the darkness will not overtake you."

If you're doing that, you're not going to be swallowed up in the darkness. But unfortunately, too many people who are supposed to be in the Church of God have been swallowed up in the darkness.

"'…For the one who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the Light… [we still have it today] …believe in the Light, so that you may become the children of Light.' Jesus spoke these things and then departed from them and was in hiding." (vs 35-36). They wanted to come after Him and get Him!

Psa. 27 is how we should react; how we can stand strong, and how we can be trusting in God. The faithful will be those who stay close to God and walk in His way. That doesn't mean that we might not be martyred, because that could happen, too. If it does, remember: as soon as your head is lopped off, you have it made! Before that happens, here we go, here's what we need to do, and realize that everything comes from God!

• all truth
• all love
• all law
• all life

Psalm 27:1: "The LORD is my Light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?…."

You don't have to be afraid! You don't have to be cocky either! But know that God is there!

"…The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?…. [here's what will happen to the enemy]; When the wicked, my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not be afraid…" (vs 1-3).

Think about that! If you woke up in the morning and rolled back the curtains and there's a whole bunch of soldiers out there surrounding your house. What are you going to do? That's going to happen!

I imagine that a lot of the Jews in Germany didn't think it was going to happen until it did. Same way in Venezuela; they didn't think it was going to happen until it did.

"…though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident" (v 3).

Why? Because with God's Spirit you will have eternal life! You don't have to worry. Here's how He did it, and here's how we must do it:

Verse 4: "One thing I have desired from the LORD, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life… [eternal life] …to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His Temple." What does that do?

Out here you have all of these Protestants believing in the rapture. All the people of God are believing in the resurrection, the promise of God.

Verse 5: "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion, in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me upon a Rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies round about me… [of course, true in the resurrection] …therefore, I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy in His tabernacle. I will sing; yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD" (vs 5-6). Here's how we pray:

• fervently
• believingly
• trustingly

Verse 7: "Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice; and be gracious unto me and answer me…. [God says back]: …When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, O LORD, will I seek'" (vs 7-8).

That's quite a thing to have the kind intervention from God. That kind of faith, that regardless of what takes place.

When David went out to battle remember the first battle he had. Just him alone with a slingshot against Goliath. All the armies of Israel were afraid. He went out there and said, 'Who is this who blasphemes the Lord?' So, he took his slingshot and everybody laughed. They said, 'You are going out there with a slingshot? Why did you take off the armor that the king gave you to put on?' He didn't need it! David said, 'This is the Lord's battle!'

He went out with his slingshot and one shot…. I don't know how tall Goliath was, but he was a big giant. David won the battle! Here we have David's cry; notice why he was a man after God's heart"

Psalm 18:1: "I love You, O LORD, my strength." That's the whole purpose of everything that we are doing: to learn to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and being! And to trust God!

• He's there
• He hears us
• He watches over us

If w do that, we will be close to Him!

Verse 2: "The LORD is my Rock, and my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my Rock in Whom I take refuge; He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower." To keep you away from the evil ones!

We will see when we come to Eph. 6 that some of these same elements of fighting against Satan are back there.

Verse 3: "I will call on the LORD, Who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies."

Then David cries out when he's in difficulties; v 4: "The cords of death hemmed me in, and the floods of ungodliness assailed me. The cords of the grave surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress…" (vs 4-6).

When you get down and discouraged and get all 'woe is me'—we all get there—don't run around and try and solve the problem yourself.

"…I called on the LORD, and I cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His Temple, and my cry came before Him into His ears" (v 6).

To rescue David, look what He did. Now see what God is going to do when we return with Christ, with the battle that's going to be on the earth. The earth is going to upside down and near complete destruction!

Verse 7—here's what God did for David: "Then the earth shook and trembled; and the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because He was angry. Smoke went up out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured; coals flamed forth from Him. And He bowed the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under His feet. And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; yea, He soared upon the wings of the wind" (vs 7-10). That's quite a Psalm of God's intervention for us!.

Here's what we are to do. We could come in—all of us as elders—and bring wonderful, nice, huggy-huggy messages, but then you go home and watch the news and all the confusion, what have you learned so you handle that kind of stuff. You wouldn't!  So, He tells us to do this:

Isaiah 60:1: "Arise, shine; for your Light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you… [the resurrection] …for behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the LORD shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. And the Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising" (vs 1-3). Let's see how this will work:

Isaiah 51:4: "Hearken to Me My people… [listen to obey] ...and give ear to Me, O My nation… [we're being a nation formed] …for instruction shall proceed from Me, and I will make My justice as a light to the people. My righteousness is near… [it is, it's coming] …My salvation has gone out, and My arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon Me, and on My arm they shall trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens…" (vs 4-6).

Unfortunately, in these cities we can't see much of the heavens, but you get out in the country and look up at the heavens. Jack is an amateur astronomer, and he looks at the heavens all the time and he's seen some fantastic things.

"…and look upon the earth beneath…" (v 6).

Think about this: We're going to come to a time when we're going to get into New Jerusalem and the new heaven and new earth, for the earth will be made over new again.

"..for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall become old like a garment; and its inhabitants shall die in the same way…. [all of those who go into the Lake of Fire] …But My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished" (v 6).

Won't be! Doesn't matter what's going to happen otherwise!

Verse 7: "Hearken to Me, you who know righteousness… [that's us] …the people in whose heart is My Law… [being written in our heart and mind] … …do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their revilings… [God's going to take care of them] …for the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but My righteousness shall be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation" (vs 7-8).

Here's how we need to come to God. This is why we have all of these words, so we can understand and trust God.

Yes, you can see the darkness creeping, coming, getting more entrenched! Some of them have been in there so long and haven't revealed their hands, but now it's coming out where they are.

Ephesians 6:10: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord…"

Trust in Him in everything that you do! It says in Prov. 3: Trust in the Lord with all your heart!

• God will hear
• He will answer

Don't worry and say that you're not worthy! None of us are worthy of anything that God is going to do for us, that we have anything that we have done for God that He has to pay us.

"…and in the might of His strength. Put on the whole armor of God…" (vs 10-11).

• prayer
• study
• yieldedness to God
• thinking on the Word of God

Not going out and doing stupid, vain things! Ask God to guide you, because our guidance is Psa. 91, which is invisible to the world! But it's real to us!

"…so that you may be able [#1]to stand against the wiles of the devil" (v 11)—rather than being taken down by the wiles of the devil!

Sometimes God is going to rescue you, and you don't know it until later on. You look back and say, 'Whoa! Did God spare me!' There will be days like that.

Verse 12: "Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities… [high evil demons] …and against powers… [those in authority] …against the world rulers of the darkness of this age…"

That cabal that meets at Davos, Switzerland. That's who it's talking about! The super-rich who worship Satan! He gives them great rewards. They're the ones who are going to institute the great Beast Power on earth. America is the last nation to stand in their way! So, they're doing everything they can to take us down. Everything!

• through government
• through drugs
• through business
• through any way they can

because they want us to become like China! That's what we're wrestling against!

"…against the spiritual power of wickednessin high places" (v 12). You wouldn't expect it, but that's where it is!

Verse 13: "Therefore, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to resist in the evil day…" Resist with:

• the Word of God
• the faith of God
• the strength of God

And He is there to help you!

"…and having worked out all things, [#2]to stand" (v 13).

Paul tells us three times here to stand!

Verse 14: "[#3]Stand, therefore, having your loins girded about with Truth… [the Word of God] …and wearing the breastplate of righteousness, and having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. Besides all these, take up the shield of the faith, with which you will have the power to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (vs 14-16).

That will be coming against us with more intensity as we go down in time! It just will, and to say otherwise would be like saying, 'Brethren, aren't you glad that we have the rapture.' Then the day comes and your feet are still on the ground, and you haven't seen any angels to take you up. You don't know what to do. IF you are prepared, you will know what to do!

Also, another thing will happen: when you get taken by the angels—which will happen—God is going to speak through each one of us as a witness against them. Jesus said, 'When you're brought before authorities, don't wonder about what you're going to speak, for your Father Who is in you will give you a mouth that you will speak.'

Verse 17: "And put on the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…" (vs 17-18).

If you do that, then you'll have strength in the Lord. But if you don't do that, and it comes upon you, you won't know what to do. Just like the people standing outside the ark, they didn't think it was going to rain. For seven days it didn't! but when it did—BOOM!—it came upon them!

Can you tread water for how many days? how many months? No, you can't! Besides, when the Flood came and all of those bodies were around there, guess what God had to happen? All the sharks and fish ate them up!

So, be watching! "…and in this very thing being watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (v 18)

Not just us, you pray for the brethren, the elders, for all the Churches of God. Some of them in very, very difficult positions right now. I can tell you that! I get that information all the time. I'm going to bring a message on that pretty soon. I'll just tell you of some of the great problems they have. I can tell you:

• they worship Herbert Armstrong
• they don't teach love and grace
• they teach nothing but Law and rule

God is going to visit them! If you're in one of those Churches and you don't get right with God, you're going to suffer the pain of the visitation of God upon you with delusion and turmoil because you won't know what's happening. I'll save that for that message.

I can tell you right now that those are the three things that are most important. That's why everything that we do:

• we look to God the Father and Jesus Christ
• we go by the Scriptures and Truth
• we love each other the way God wants us to love each other
• we love God with all our heart, mind, soul and being; the way that God wants us to

And pray about that every day! I know I do!

What does it really mean to love God with:

• all your heart
• all your mind
• all your soul
• all your strength
• all your being

What does that really mean? It means more than just coming to Church on Sabbath or the Holy Days!

This is how we can be spiritually prepared! We're not going to stop it from coming, because wickedness is coming! But we need to learn how to handle it and what to do.

That's what we do when the wicked rule or darkness rules! That's how we do it!

Scriptural References:

• Matthew 6:22-23
• John 3:16-21
• Ephesians 2:1-3
• Ephesians 6:12
• Isaiah 60:2
• Luke 22:53
• Revelation 12:9
• 1 John 5:19
• Isaiah 5:8-9, 11-16, 18
• Jeremiah 10:23-24
• Isaiah 5:19-24
• Isaiah 59:1-10
• John 12:35-36
• Psalm 27:1-8
• Psalm 18:1-10
• Isaiah 60:1-3
• Isaiah 51:4-8
• Ephesians 6:10-18

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Revelation 13
• Psalm 91
• Proverbs 3

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 6/16/21

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