Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s 25 degrees cooler than it was just a few days ago, and the earth looks like it’s ready to rest from the high temperatures and blazing heat. God is going to open the floodgates soon, and the rain will do its part. When the cool air meets the warm earth, the fog begins to roll in. One minute, you can see the trees off in the distance, and the next, they are masked by fog. There wasn’t much fog this morning, but I could feel the heaviness in the air – the kind of heaviness that warns us of the rain that is coming soon. Mornings like this remind me of what it feels like to navigate through this dark world. The heaviness of the upcoming Spiritual Storm can be felt in the air, too, but it’s being ignored by so many people. One minute you can see things so clearly, and the next minute life is “masked” by oppression so dark and so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. But as a Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I REFUSE to focus on the fog – I don’t fret over what’s masked – and I sure don’t scramble around in the “dark” or blame politicians for the Spiritual state we’re in. I am certain of what we’re up against, and I am Confident in how the Story ends, so I focus on the Eastern sky – rain or shine, fog or clear – because that’s the Direction Jesus will come calling from for me One Day. The Time is near, and I have just a few goals as I live out these perilous times on earth. First, to be sure that I’m READY to meet my Maker, AND next I need to be sure to Help get as many souls as I possibly can Prepare to meet Him One Day too! Despite the insults being thrown around the world right now, and despite what you think someone deserves (or doesn’t deserve), the King doesn’t want anyone to perish… although, sadly, many of them will. Jonah didn’t think the Ninevites deserved to hear the Truth either, but God had other plans. There’s no time to linger in the fog when there’s Kingdom Work to do! Isn’t that the way you see these last days too?

The Bible says that in Hell there will be eternal “weeping and gnashing of teeth” for those who don’t believe – imagine that – torment with no ability to find rest or peace ever again. I’m sure it’s much worse than anything we can imagine, but I think we’re getting a small glimpse of Hell today. There is no rest in our world. There’s no end to the “gnashing of teeth” as the battle over “good and evil” goes on. There’s no end to the shaking of fists in anger. There’s no end to the violence. There’s no end to the lies. There’s no end to the immoral acts. There’s no end to the tactics some use to be heard. There’s no end to the greed. There’s no end to the selfishness. There’s no end to the violence. There’s no end to the harm that’s being done to “these little ones.” There’s no end to so many things that can discourage the Heart because of this small glimpse of Hell we’re seeing today, as the battle between “good and evil” goes on right before our very eyes. BUT I know the rest of the story. I Know that the Devil hasn’t been unleashed yet and that the Light of the world is the only thing holding him back. We need more Warriors – we need more Light and Salt in the world! Fortunately, I KNOW Who Wins, and I know how the Story ends…and it ends well for those who have Surrendered to Jesus. Until then, I’m doing my own kind of fighting to share the Good News with this dark world so that the glimpse of Hell doesn’t become an eternal reality for them. This is the Key to living out our Great Commission…before it’s too late. This is the Key to being found worthy by the King!

The Bible says that “no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love Him,” and I’m looking forward to Heaven. I’m going to that Place where there’s no more sadness or sickness – a place where there are no more tears….EVER. A place where “evil” doesn’t exist, and Peace is Everlasting. Though I can’t imagine it, I long for it, and I want everybody else to long for it too! I am confident that “greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world,” so I’m Living out my Faith with the boldness of a lion and the gentleness of a lamb. I refuse to take part in debates over meaningless things that make no difference in the Bigger Picture of eternity. Instead, my Light will be shining brighter than it ever has before in the middle of a dark world getting darker every day. I KNOW Who wins…and I’m on the Winners Team, so I can’t partake in that “glimpse of Hell” – I can only outshine it with Him – and FOR Him. Darkness can’t exist in the Light, and I know that if more people Believed in my God the way I Believe in my God, they’d be shining their Light in this dark world too…instead of partaking in the war against “good and evil” on earth – so, I’ll be busy trying to (re)ignite their Faith while I’m at it. I’m looking East, and I’m longing for Heaven. This is the Key to walking through the Journey of Faith with Peace in ALL circumstances. When I have Heaven on the horizon, why in the world would I focus on the fog?

There’s so much going on in the dark world, but you could never prove it by the Peace I have within me. To some, it looks hopeless on the outside, but it’s NEVER hopeless! To some, the main goal is to save the most amazing country in the world – to me, it’s to save the Heart of the Lost. Ready or not, the King is Coming, and when He does, believe it or not, EVERY knee shall bow, and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! I mourn for the ones who aren’t ready to meet Him. Yes, even the crazy ones who have taken to our streets to “rob, kill, and destroy”. They’re being used by Satan himself and they’re blinded to the Light. There is only ONE way to fight and to win, and it’s not whining about the government or with weapons of the flesh. To be Ready for the journey through the darkness and the fog, we need to be sure that we are Strengthened for Spiritual battle every single day, and we need to focus more on the Eastern sky where the King will appear than on the condition of the dark world or the latest word on politics. Those things are just a distraction the enemy uses to keep us in the fog! It doesn’t work on me – will you let his tactics continue to work on you?

I’m busy Serving the King, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can easily cut through the fog with the Word of God, and I can light up the darkness with the Light of the Holy Spirit within me. I Receive my Direction from the Holy Spirit. He’s my Strength. He’s my Shield. He’s my Deliverer. I’m looking to the East with great anticipation! Fog? What fog?

How about you?