March 22, 2002

Utter darkness

Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.  The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number and mighty are those who obey his command.  The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?  Joel 2:10-11 (NIV)

But in those days, following that distress, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”  At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  Mark 13:24-26  (NIV)

Have you ever experienced utter darkness?  Only one time in my life do I remember ever having experienced true utter darkness.  In the depths of Carlsbad Caverns, in New Mexico, for a brief time, they totally turn out all the lights.  I am here to tell you, utter darkness is dark.  Even in the dark of night, we do not experience utter darkness.  There are stars that shine, lights that come on, and yet in this day, the earth shall be plunged into utter darkness.  The sun and moon will be dark and the stars shall not shine.  And yet, the Lord is still the head of his army.  In the midst of the trials, the tribulations, he is there.  He is the guardian and the protector and those who follow his command are not to be defeated.  The voice of the seven thunders spoke to John, and he was told to seal up what it said.  This voice of thunder is the voice that leads the army of God.  Even in the midst of this terrible time, there is a time of greatness for the army of the Lord.  Scripture says mighty are those who obey his command.

  Do you obey the command of the Lord?  Are you going to be able to stand come that day of the great and dreadful coming of the Son of Man?  Are you going to number in the army of the Lord or in the defeated foes?  In looking back at the earlier verses in Joel 2, I find myself seeing a different army than what I was speaking of yesterday.  This army is the army of locusts that comes in Revelation 9.  This army is like the army of horses that breathe fire, and yet the people of earth do not repent.  However, this army is not allowed to harm the people who have the mark of God upon their foreheads.  This army is an army with the likeness of might, and yet it is not a real might.  True mightiness comes from the Lord and only from the Lord. 

  This mightiness shall be that which sustains the people of the Lord in the midst of the work of the deceiver.  This mightiness will keep God’s people from falling away from him.  This mightiness is the Lord Jesus Christ!  He has all power and all authority over all things in all heaven and earth.  When the darkness comes unto the earth, then, the Son of Man will come in the clouds for all the world to see.  He shall be seen in all his glory.   Though we see through a clouded glass, in that day, we shall see him as he is.  This is a day of mourning and rejoicing.  The day of the Lord shall come quickly.  He is coming, soon.  We must not continue in complacency.  We must let the fire of the Most High God burn away the stubble and allow him to infuse us with the fire of the Holy Spirit.  We must come to Mt. Zion and encamp with the Lord, that we might not be found surprised when these things take place.  In the Lord’s wisdom and might, he has saved the best for last.  He has made a sheltered place for all who come to him.  Come, let us move to the shelter of the Most High.  Come to Zion!

Father, these first few verses of Joel 2 still do not make perfect sense to me, and yet I know that you are the Lord.  I know that I am marked with the mark of the angels and I know that the armies of satan shall not be allowed to harm me during the great and dreadful times that are to come.  Father, I ask in the name of Jesus that you prepare us for that coming day.  Lord, let us not become like generations before, that have ceased to look for your return, believing it to be some time in the distant future.  Lord, come and lead your troops.  Teach us your ways and help us to keep your command, so that we not fall away.  Father, in the blessed name of Jesus, keep us sheltered in Zion, that holy mountain, where we feast on the bread and we drink the wine.  Father, in Jesus name, prepare us for the great and dreadful day of the Lord, amen!

All rights reserved:  Amy Seelbach

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