They Want Us Blind To What’s Coming Next..

Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Rise Radio Podcast. You may hear that I'm slightly unwell at the moment. That's because I caught a flu and it's just been so hard to shake it off for the past few weeks. And adding to that, we've had some pretty crazy times around the areas that we live. We had at least I think it was two or three namestorms in October, and they literally followed one after the other. To be quite honest, being from the UK and growing up in this environment, we're not really used to this type of weather. So witnessing winds that were as strong as like 80 mile per hour gusts was quite a lot to experience there. So yeah, for us, it was something quite new. Thankfully, we did prepare and it showed us the value, I suppose you could say, of having at least some basic preparations like a way to cook food on a gas hob, uh preparing uh long-life tinned food and and various things like that, and also torches and lights, because you will not believe. I don't know if you've been through a blackout before, but you will not believe how dark it gets when everything's blacked out. I mean, literally the street lights are gone, the house lights are gone, other people's lights are gone. All you can generally see as you drive round are just small flickers and glimmers of candles coming from people's houses. But I tell you, it feels ominous. It really does to drive round, and every house you see is basically in darkness and just tiny lights. I mean, wow, something I wasn't anticipating. But the storms were pretty bad, as I said. I mean, you had someone's roof, whole roof came off near us, and there was a truck driving over a bridge that was tipped over, thrown over onto its side. But as we were faced with this, we began thinking in terms of what the Bible says, and the times were in general, because there's a lot of symbolism in some of these things that happen in this world. We know that creation testifies of our creator. Uh, we were just going around thinking like what the Bible says about these times of darkness and trials and hardship and difficulties because you find yourself in the middle of it and it feels scary. It really does. It begins to feel unpredictable, like what you knew before and trusted in is is gone, it disappears all of a sudden. Um, you don't feel as safe anymore. And it certainly puts you on your toes, especially if you haven't prepared. But one thing it did make us think is that this challenge it actually brings refinement. Because you think, well, next time, if this happens, we're gonna have gone through some of it. We're gonna be more familiar with it. These these troubles and this tribulation that we're going through right now, it's actually working some good in us. It's working some good for us. It's giving us experience and it's testing our endurance and our ability. And it reminds us of this verse, like in Romans chapter 5, verse 3 to 5, it says, And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. So, yeah, as time goes on and you're in this blackout, it just really starts to work this endurance in you, uh, that you become more determined through those difficulties to push forward, and it also begins to rip you away from the things that you trusted in before, because you don't have all of those conveniences, you don't have your phones, you don't really have electronics unless you've got a generator, you don't have that ease with which you can just function as you normally did, maybe in a state of lethargy or in a state of unthankfulness, where you just take things for granted, or even distraction because you've no longer got those things that consumed your mind and your time, and you're just left with the basics. So there's some really interesting lessons that you can learn through that, and I just we just really found that quite profound as we kind of went about our days. In the end, it was two days of blackout, um, which is a long time when you start to get concerned about thieves breaking in, about the lack of heating. Some people don't have heaters that work when the power is gone. You'd see some folks dressed in like really thick clothes and trying to keep warm. Uh, one thing that was really nice is that the community really did pull together, which is just so wonderful to see in this day and age, and there were some free food available for uh the elderly and and others who don't have it, so that was good. But this verse from Psalm 30, verse 5 really strikes me when it comes to this. The symbolism of it really hits home when discussing something like this. It says, Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. When you're in the middle of that, you long for the morning. You long for the security that comes with the new day. And I really think there's something to learn from that in my mind because it reminds me of the type of language and symbolism that the Bible uses about these concepts. So there's an interesting commentary on Biblegateway.com in relation to that psalm. It says, the turning point is David's confession. In his security he had grown arrogant, forgetful of who had made his mountain stand firm. But the Lord reminded him. Shattered strength swept away all self-reliance. At the brink of death, his cries for divine mercy arose to God. And I do think in those times when everything else is swept away, everything we did rely on is removed, it does test you and try you to see who you truly rely on. In some ways you have little choice but to pray, call out to God in those times of trials and troubles, in the the darkness, um, to begin to rely on him more, and to put away those distractions and to come before him. And from that comes this yearning from within for something better, a better hope, for something secure, solid ground in the chaos, some certainty in the confusion. It reminded me that actually, yeah, these things may be stripped away. Judgment comes upon this world. Maybe the arrogance that has festered in me the self-reliance can be challenged and hopefully stripped away, the dross burnt off through the fiery trials. And when you get into this place where it isn't easy, that usual ease and comfort of a life in this society that to be fair, in the West, we've had many, many comfortable years and good years. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's so easy to start getting into this presumption and expectation and no longer as grateful as we used to be, expecting these frills. Of course, we know that this world and Babylon, it will be judged at some point in these last days. So perhaps there is a work that can be done in us, all of us, in our hearts, that we can be pressed like oil, and our faith can grow stronger, our reliance on Jesus can grow stronger, that we know everything that happens to us is for our good. None of these things are wasted, and God is sovereign no matter what happens in this world, no matter how difficult it gets. We know that He is with us every step of the way, He is our strength. And like Spurgeon said, I've learned to kiss the wave that slams me against the rock of ages. So that is what grows us and matures us, and that's what we need. We need that sanctification. I speak to myself a hundred percent, a hundred percent, you know. I need that sanctification because there are still many ways in me that are not pleasing to God, and sometimes the hardship is what is really going to refine that. And it reminds me also of the wise virgins that they had their wicks trimmed and their lamp burning, they had the light in that darkness, and how important is it when you're plunged into that to be prepared and have that light. People who didn't prepare around us, I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to have no lights in complete thick darkness and have no preparations whatsoever, be in the cold, have no food. It just reminded me of this language in the Bible. So this led me on to think about the typology, the symbolism of the Sabbath, the ultimate fulfillment of the Sabbath that was given to ancient Israel. Because when you think about it, the Sabbath as it's celebrated today in Israel, when does the Sabbath begin? It's not like us in the West when we think of this day beginning maybe on Saturday morning when the sun comes up. That's not how it works in their culture. No, if you've been there before, you'll see that at Friday night when the sun goes down, that is when their Sabbath begins, when everyone takes this day of rest and the religious folk they celebrate it. And I was once shown by a believer just how incredible that picture is with the Sabbath day starting at night and then going on to the new dawn and the new day. And that to me is just a really interesting and simple explanation. The time of darkness, the time of tribulation, the days that we're in now that we see coming towards us, we know that this is going to culminate with the return of Jesus Christ, who will bring that new day, the millennial reign of Christ. The Sabbath itself, which is a typology for the day of rest and the millennial reign, Jesus returns after this time of darkness. He destroys the works of the Antichrist and He brings about the new kingdom, the Millennial Reign, and His people will enter into a time of unprecedented peace and rest, just like the Sabbath, and with him ruling and reigning in his just and righteous kingdom, they will dwell in secure places, and my people shall dwell in a peaceful habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. And some translations use the word and in dwelling places of security. And that's exactly what you feel in that time of darkness blackout that we went through. You yearn for the new day, you yearn for when the sun will come up and provide that security, that warmth, and the long night, the dark night, will be over. And folks, that's what we've got to look forward to. We know that this time and the judgment of this world and the tribulation will come, but we know that our hope is in the light of life, Jesus Christ, when he returns and brings that security, brings that eternal rest with him. The Lord Jesus Christ is our true Sabbath, he is our true rest, and those who put their faith in him in the midst of this fallen world will have his strength and his light indwelling them. And like it says in 2 Peter 1 19, we have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts. Man, I love that so much, 'cause we were all in darkness, the darkness of this world. We were all destined for death and hell without him. And he has come and died on the cross, so that we may be forgiven by his blood, washed clean by his righteousness, and he rose again on the third day, defeating death and hell. No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck us from his hands. No matter what happens in this world, no matter how dark it gets in this time of the climax of sin and all the bad things that that brings with it, the epitome of the rebellion of humanity in this world. The birds will sing, there will be a new morning. The new hope will come. It encourages me to read verses like 2 Peter 3 9. It says, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And then Luke 12 32 says, Fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. It's just incredible to know that God wants this for us, that God wants to save us, even though we do not deserve it. I do not deserve it. I've done so many awful things, bad things in my life, things that are worthy of death, definitely not worthy of life, eternal life in heaven, definitely not. But I know and trust that Jesus Christ has paid for that. He's removed that from me because I've come with empty hands and said, Lord, I cannot do it myself. I cannot earn this. I do not deserve this. But he came and rescued me. And he can do the same for you. He has done the same for you. Just come to him with empty hands and ask for that gift because your life depends on it. Repent and believe the gospel. And of course, we know that there's also a deception, there's also a delusion, there's also lying signs and wonders, as well as the real things going on. The great deception and the great delusion that counterfeits and mimics God, which is all it can do, because God is the truth. And what this does is like a thief, it comes to steal, kill, and destroy. We see in so many TV commercials, adverts, movies, some of this being depicted. Like recently, we covered on the main RSE Rise channel on YouTube about the KFC commercial that had people running this race through life, through the darkness, through the trials of this world, up this hill to the new dawn, and it showed a rooster with a golden egg. That is the count of it right there, that new dawn of the Luciferian New Age, Alice Bailey, and all of that false stuff, that is just stealing, killing, and destroying. It is taking something that is profound, that is true, that is powerful in the Bible, something that is holy and sacred of the real God's word, and it's literally turning it upside down. It's using a mirror. It's a hideous parallelism, as they say. It's a parallel, it's hideous, it's a false Christ. But of course, it's just leeching off of the truth of God's word, which is all it can do, turning it into a false light. So we see that going on. How much more should this make us realize that this is reality, folks? This is reality. This spiritual war is real, and there is a war for your soul. It's not just for no reason, it's because your soul is precious, and you will spend an eternity somewhere, and it's either going to be in the presence of the Lord, your creator, or you're gonna go down the same uh route as the enemy, the god of this world, cast into the lake of fire, and your soul will be lost. Your soul will be lost. And folks, that's the natural state of us in this world. We need to be born again and saved. Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, the whole narrative from start to finish, Genesis to Revelation, it is the only word that describes everything about this life, about our condition, about what's going on. It's honest about man, about our flaws, about our need for a saviour, and why. And we can guarantee you right here and now that these things are true. But the thing is, if you feel scared, you feel fear of what's going on around us and what's to come. Of course, they're very trying and testing times, but we know that God is sovereign. The peace that this gives us in our heart, even when everything else around us doesn't seem peaceful. You know, our lives are complicated and they're difficult, and we go through lots of things, go through lots of challenges and persecution, hardship. We are right now, in my life, we're going through a lot of challenges right now, but we know that it's worth it, and we have a God in heaven who loves us, loves us so much that he sent his only son to be beaten, to be whipped, flogged, chastised, so that we may be reconciled to God and have peace with God through Jesus Christ. So undeserved, so undeserved, and we have a lot to be thankful for. So that's it really, and I hope you can be encouraged by that verse. I'll say it again in Psalm thirty, verse five Sing to the Lord, O you his saints, and praise his holy name, for his anger is fleeting, but his favour lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning. His judgment is coming on this world, but as John the Baptist said, flee from the wrath to come. Flee. We don't have to be condemned for our sins. We don't have to go to the lake of fire, we don't have to be cast out from his presence. We don't have to die in our sins. There is a way to be restored, forgiven, though we were. Evil, wicked sinners. He has provided the way, he shed his own blood. No matter what anyone tells you in this day and age, people laughing at it, mocking it, well I'm not surprised because it's the truth. And the God of this world has blinded the minds of them that believe not. Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them. He is shining unto you now in this time of darkness. The cross still stands, his blood still cleanses eternally the same. Nothing has changed in terms of the gospel. No matter if this world changes rapidly and we get used to change, constant change, being the norm. Because everything is shifting so fast. And it's hard to hold on to anything because it's a kingdom built on sinking sand. And it will fall. It will shift. There's no l lasting or long-term security in it. It only takes a moment and everything can change in this world. So we need something strong. We need someone strong to hold on to, and more than that, who holds on to us no matter what. And he is right there holding out his hand to us. He wants to save us. He doesn't want to condemn us. He came to this world not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Don't turn from him in shame. Come to him and let him take your shame. Let him take your mistakes and ask him to redeem you. And he will. he will. He came from heaven to do so.

Through these eyes, fear and blurred, hope disguised. Through these eyes, clouded pain, faith revived, hold on, fear will rise, fall but dawn, hold on, pain will rise, fall but dawn, Say will come to those who bow their head. Through these eyes, fear from fear, hope out eyes. Through these eyes, faith of pain, faith provides, hold down, fear will rise, fall by die, hold on. Pain will rise, fall by die.