It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. (Ps 118:8-9, ESV2011)

Not long ago most Americans had “faith” in many things: faith in their 401k savings accounts and the stock market, faith in the medical professionals, faith in science to come up with all the answers we need to deal with whatever threatens us, faith in our military to save us, faith in a strong dollar, even faith in our politicians. But it is interesting how all these things we once had “faith in” are failing us on every front. The dollar is rapidly shrinking, inflation is soaring and eating up our savings (if we have any), our COVID jabs don’t prevent us from getting the disease as vaccines once did, our enemies’ military might is rapidly growing greater than our own, and politicians are proving themselves liars over and over again. Even faith we once had in our church leaders is waning as they are caught in illicit affairs, stealing from the church treasuries, and being proven as false teachers. I believe this all is the hand of God at work, allowing these things so that we would no longer put our trust in men or the things of this world, but put our trust in Jesus Christ alone.

Recently Susanne Schuberth had a series of visions that she has been sharing on her blog ^[1] and how they might apply to current events and what we should put our hope as believers in Christ. In the process of reading her blog, different Bible verses came to mind that speak of the many things that the world is facing in these troublesome times we live in. The question facing those who believe in Christ is, “Are we going to put our total trust in Him, or in today’s technological, financial and political leaders and even those who make themselves out to be our religious leaders?” It seems that everyone is looking to men to do something to save us from what is coming upon the earth. It is becoming a perfect setup for a one world Beast system and Great False Prophet to take control. You might be thinking, “Oh boy, here it comes. He is going to tell us who he thinks these the Beast and the Great False Prophet are.” Sorry, but you can go running after the plethora of false teachers in the church system if that’s what you are looking for. I am here to focus on Jesus Christ and none other.

One of the things that Susanne saw in a vision was a high, chocolate brown, cone shaped mountain. She and Jesus were walking around the base of this mountain on a circular path with the mountain on their left. The mountain was oily and slick so that it could not be climbed. Here is what she wrote,

“It was only yesterday on Thursday in the morning that I found myself walking in the Spirit (in another vision, so to say) with Jesus along a well-trodden path that closely surrounded a high and steep mountain on our left. Jesus was on my right side as we kept walking this ocher-colored footpath. I did not focus on Jesus as I usually know I have to in order to not get side-tracked by the enemy. Instead, I looked up this high and slick mountain that was shaped like a huge brown cone. There was no rock, no tree, only a greasy soil texture which allowed no uphill climbs. Alas, I could not discern any way up nor down and no other path elsewhere, either, than this tedious one we were on.

Over time it began to dawn on me that we were walking on an endless circuit around this cone-shaped mountain. That was not only boring. I also felt more and more pressured to keep walking in this prison of sorts. My feelings turned from boredom over irritation to outright anger. After walking approximately one third of the whole ‘circle’ that surrounded the mountain, I really felt like a prisoner who wanted to break free! I turned to Jesus and beseeched Him, “Can we not go elsewhere??” To this He answered, “Yes, we can,” and soon I found myself with Him on a higher elevation on the other side of the mountain. Phew, much better there! Relaxing at Jesus’ left side, I looked down on the earth and on this whole mountain, its rounded off peak, and on the path that was thin like a thread, but somehow stuck to the mountain itself.

“What is this mountain?” I wondered. “This is the pandemic,” Jesus answered. “Oh…” I was surprised…  🙄 At that moment I saw many people who were walking on this path around the mountain. They were small like ants although I could discern the clothes they wore, the color of their hair and so on. They kept walking… and kept walking…and …you know the rest. At that moment it got as clear as crystal to me that we have to continually focus on Jesus if we do not want to remain part of the crowd which, being focused on the mountain and its path around it, never looked up to the heights.” (1)

Where do we who believe in Christ really put our trust? Do we get so focused on our problems that we can’t see the answer God has given us? Do we trust Him to take us through COVID and the other evil things that Satan is concocting for these end times we face, or do we, like ancient Israel, trust in the “chariots and horses of Egypt” to save us?

It is amazing how contradictory our medical science professionals have been about what must be done to protect us against COVID 19. First it was “don’t wear masks, but stay six feet apart.” Then it was “stay indoors for two weeks and this will all be over.” Then it was “you must wear masks and stay six feet apart.” Then it was, “you must wear two masks!” Next it was you must get a “COVID vaccine shot and you will be protected.” Then it was “you must get a booster injection and then a third one, etc.” And don’t forget the lock-downs, closing small businesses, even shutting down large sports venues and putting cardboard fans in the bleachers with artificial crowd noise over the PA system. On and on it goes, around and around the mountain they go, a mountain that can’t be climbed because they do not put their faith in Jesus Christ alone. Insanity!

Yet, COVID 19 is not the only curse on this world that reveals the futility of “the best laid plans of mice and men.” First there was the rush to make a vaccine for the first version of the virus, but they are not as effective against the alpha, beta, delta and now the omicron variants. How many more man-made diseases are yet to be unleashed as Satan rules over the hearts evil men?

There are many more of these “mountains.” COVID isn’t the only thing we are facing in this crazy world with its insane rulers as we turn to man for answers and only get more confusion and division as a result. There is the threat of China invading Taiwan, the Russians invading Ukraine, hurricanes, tornadoes, erupting volcanoes, earthquakes, tidal waves, floods, nuclear disasters, famines, food and energy shortages…on and on it goes. Jesus foretold these things before He went to the cross (read Luke ch. 21). Why all this futility as men deal with these things? When will we ever learn that the minds of men have no answers but only cause more confusion, chaos and destruction as they try to fix it? David prophesied:

Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:” (Ps 2:1-5, NKJV)

It is not “what” is God’s answer to all this confusion, but Who!

“Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.” (Ps 2:6-8, NKJV)

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Ps 2:10-12 ESV)

Jesus the Christ will prevail and those who have believed into Him (the correct translation of John 3:16) and have their hope and trust as they abide IN Him and put no trust or hope in this world system to save them, these will overcome whatever Satan throws at them for they walk in the faith of Jesus Christ not their own (see Romans 3:22). This faith is a gift from our Father in heaven (see Ephesians 2:8) and He has promised to give good gifts to those who ask for them.

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest… But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:18-29, ESV2011)

Dear saints, this is indeed a dark hour coming on the earth. But we have many great promises in the scriptures for this time as well. The darker it gets the more we should be turning away from the world, its rulers and its wise men for our hope and put our hope where it belongs.

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were [and are] darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” (Rom 1:21-22, ESV2011).

Yes “darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you” (Isa 60:2, ESV2011). Spiritual darkness and even death are not to be feared if we have made our abode IN Jesus Christ.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”​even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. (Ps 139:11-12, ESV2011)

The key here, dear saints, is that darkness is turned into light as we walk with Him. The apostle John wrote this:

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5, ESV2011)

The life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1John 1:2-5, ESV2011)

No matter how dark this world and its people become, if we are IN HIM there is no darkness at all. Neither should any darkness be found in those who have believed into Him, just as John wrote to those who believe.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1John 1:5-7, ESV2011 – emphasis added)

 

  [1] https://enteringthepromisedland.wordpress.com/2021/12/03/hinds-feet-on-high-places-or-the-only-way-out-is-up/