The Watchman
The days of darkness are upon us. Don’t be overcome by the darkness; instead, overcome it by walking in the light. The Bible tells us in 1 John 1:5-7 that God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. Verse 6 says that if we say we have fellowship with him but walk in darkness, we lie and do not know the truth. Verse 7 says that if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin.
The darkness will only intensify. As I write this article, I am thinking about five years ago, when I was in Bristol Regional Hospital, dying of COVID-19. This week marks my fifth anniversary of my experience with death and my healing from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Each day I live, I thank Him for healing me and letting me come back to preach a little longer, write an article, deliver another load of backpacks to the kids at school, help my granddaughters, or play with my great-granddaughter. God has really been good to me.
About six weeks ago, I gave my testimony at Joel and Tina Horn Church, The Anchor Souls Harbor, about my experience of seeing heaven. There was a preacher there, Jeremy Mikles, who lives in Abingdon, Virginia, who told the audience that my doctor, when I had COVID, lived just a few houses down from him and told him and his wife that I should not be alive today.
But God. The day they released me from the hospital, my doctor told me, “You are our greatest success story for the last two weeks.”
One of the things the Lord Jesus Christ showed me was the darkness already covering the earth, with only a little light left. At that point, I asked and prayed that he would let me come back, preach a little longer and help my family, and Jesus granted my request.
You may ask what that means. I will tell you if you will listen.
The Bible tells us in Isaiah 60:2, “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people.” But the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Just a few verses back, Isaiah 59:19 says, “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west.” We live in the western hemisphere of the earth, and it goes on to say, “and his glory from the rising of the sun.” Where does the sun rise? In the East. Who lives in the East? Israel.
Then look at what the word of God says. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift a standard against him. Psalm 68:1 says, “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered, let them also that hate him flee before him.”
For the past few years, Islam has been chanting death to America and death to Israel. I believe they mean what they say. When they chanted from the river to the sea on Oct. 7, 2023, they were trying to do what they had been saying for years: death to America, death to Israel.
So the enemy came in like a flood, but the Lord also raised a standard from the east, and the forces of the west stepped up. On Feb. 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran, the enemy who wanted to destroy them both.
Was this the hand of the Lord against our enemy? I think so.
Let’s look at Psalm 32:6-7. Verse 6 says, “For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found, surely in the floods of greater waters they shall not come nigh unto thee.” Verse 7 says, “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.”
Yet it’s going to get darker. 2 Timothy 3:1 says, “This also in the last days, perilous times shall come.” That means dangerous times. Verse 13 says, “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” Verse 5 says, “Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.”
God is looking for those who will trust him. Job 13:15 says, “Though ye slay me, yet will I trust him.”
We must keep our eyes on Jesus. There is so much happening right now; it’s easy to take our eyes off the Lord. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to “look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”
2 Chronicles 20:9-12 from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir. Jehoshaphat said in verse 13, “For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us, neither know we what to do. But our eyes are upon thee.”
Because of this, God said in verse 17, “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you; fear not, nor be dismayed.”
The problems we continue to face in this world are changing dramatically and will get worse before Jesus comes back, but remember his words in Hebrews 13:5: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
If you are a child of God, you are never alone. We have no need to be overwhelmed. We overcome darkness by walking in the light of God’s word and being filled with His Spirit.
Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:135 says, “Make thy face to shine upon thy servant.” Isaiah 60:1 says, “Arise and shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”
We are warring against insanity. Let’s fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life.
Revelation 12:11: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death.”
Romans 8:31: “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
I will close with these words in Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Stay Tuned, The Watchman
