–Elmer Kelton  (The Way of the Coyote)

       “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

                    –Romans 6:23 (NKJV)
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Last night was a dark night, not because the waning moon is just starting, but because of the evil that was represented.  John tells us that, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:5-6, NKJV)  If you’ve ever watched horror movies, of which I do not, but I know that much of the action takes place at night–in the darkness.
     There is a terror of night, make no mistake about it.  Objects do not look the same as they did in the daylight.  They seem to take on a sinister form at times.  Evil lurks and loves the night, the darkness.  True, it is becoming more and more prevalent in the day, but it is still the nighttime that feeds it.  The majority of shootings take place at night, as well as other types of crimes.  But Christian, take heart, “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night…” (Psalm 91:5, NKJV)  That is a promise mixed with a command.  Because He is light, we can rest and have peace in the darkest night.
     However, there is another type of darkness.  It is the darkness of the soul.  Think of Joseph, escaping death, but thrown in the pit to eventually be sold as a slave by his brothers.  Darkness, distress…  Moses, the shining prince of Egypt, flees to the wilderness and for forty years his soul is in turmoil.  The soul is in darkness, but then–upon the side of a mountain a bush that is burning but not consumed–the light of God.  Read the accounts of Jeremiah, how he faced the darkness.
     St. John of the Cross wrote that, “God leads into the dark night those He desires to purify from all imperfections so that He may bring them farther onward.”  We, mankind, and believers as well, often spend too much time on the things of the flesh rather than mortifying the flesh.  When this takes place God often will send darkness.  A time, hopefully, of reflection, a time to get our eyes back on the light.  Thomas Merton said this, “When the time comes to enter the darkness in which we are naked and helpless and alone; in which we see the insufficiency of our greatest strength and the hollowness of our strongest virtues; in which we have nothing of our own to rely on, and nothing in our nature to support us, and nothing in the world to guide us or give us light–then we find out whether or not we live by faith.”
     Faith–without it we cannot please God.  He wants people of faith, but sometimes He must send the darkness to purify our faith.  No matter how many and great our virtues we cannot purify ourselves.  No matter the hours put in serving God, it is not enough to bring purification.  God sends the darkness to bring us out into greater light.  This is a time of trouble for the soul.  Peter in the dark of the night denied the Lord.  Think of the anguish in his soul.  Judas, the Betrayer, was in darkness, his soul embittered by his deed.  Two men facing the darkness of their soul; two different choices were made.
     In the darkness we either sleep or we continue walking.  The believer does not leave the path to glory simply because it is night.  Depression, despair, distress may come but we continue onward to our destination.  The darkness is there, but it is only a hindrance.  We must walk more carefully; other senses must be heightened.  Prayer, meditation, reading of the Word, practical application of the Word, just as in life must be adhered to in the darkness.  We hold tighter to His hand, we follow more closely to His guidance.  Because of that fellowship grows, relationship deepens, trust is solidified, and we continue on by faith.  Not faith in ourselves, not faith even that we are going to make it, but faith in the One who is there beside us even if we do not feel His presence.

                    –Louis L’Amour  (Bendigo Shafter)

       “The God of heaven will help us succeed.  We his servants will start rebuilding this wall.  But you have no stake or claim in Jerusalem.”

                    –Nehemiah 2:20(NLT)
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Do you think your world is falling apart?  Are there questions to which you can find no answers?   Are things happening around you that never happened before?  That’s what this next portion of Psalm 105 is about.  The world falling apart, moving away from what is natural.  If you have had a tendency to forget about God, go back and read the following verses and imagine yourself in ancient Egypt.

          23 — Israel also came into Egypt, and Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.
          24 — He increased His people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies.
          25 — He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants.
          26 — He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen.
          27 — They performed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
          28 — He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they did not rebel against His word.
          29 — He turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish.
          30 — Their land abounded with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings.
          31 — He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and lice in all their territory.
          32 — He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
          33 — He struck their vines also, and their fig trees, and splintered the trees of their territory.
          34 — He spoke, and the locusts came, young locusts without number,
          35 — And ate up all the vegetation in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
          36 — He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land, the first of all their strength.  (NKJV)

     Think first of the men mentioned.  God sent Israel (Jacob) into Egypt, yet earlier He had sent Joseph to prepare the way.  Joseph was there when Jacob arrived to prepare for Israel’s well-being.  He has also anticipated your needs, your issues, your circumstance and has a plan to rescue you.  Then He sent Moses and Aaron, oh, and remember, Moses was an eighty year old fugitive at this time.  They did not volunteer for the task, but were chosen by God.  Maybe in the midst of your trials you should look for the task that God is calling you to accomplish.
     For years God’s people had waited to be delivered.  Most of them had lost hope, had forgotten the power of their God, and were no longer waiting for the coming deliverer.  Imagine their surprise when the miracles began to take place.  When they began to see God work through the two men He had assigned.  Are you waiting for the hand of the Lord to move or have you forgotten Him?  Can you remember His miracles in the past, if not read this account again.  “He’ll do it again…you may not know how, you may not know when, but He’ll do it again.” (Dawn Thomas)  Helmut Thielecke stated, “God is stronger than fire and destruction, and even in the valleys of deepest darkness, rod and staff are put into our hands and bridges are thrown across the abyss.”  God has given you what you need for the hour, for the situation and circumstance, for the battle.
     
               “God the Omnipotent King who ordainest
               Thunder thy clarion, the lightning thy sword;
               Show forth thy pity on high, where thou reignest;
               Give to us peace in our time, O Lord.”
                       –Henry F. Chorley

                    –Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (HCSB)
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               “An’ the Gobble-uns ‘at gits you
                    Ef you
                        Don’t
                           Watch
                               Out!”
                                   –James Whitcomb Riley

               “For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.”
                                  –Ephesians 6:12 (HCSB)

But do we heed the Word of God?  Over the weekend and on to the 31st there will be parties galore, evil will be personified, magnified, and glorified.  We have been duped by cartoons, television, movies, and songs into thinking that this is a harmless fun holiday.  But listen. . . Not only are evil spirits real, but they can significantly harm you if you’re not careful.  The Bible uses terms such as:  “demons,” “unclean spirits,” “lying spirits,” demonic spirits,” “impure spirits,” “deceiving spirits,” and “fallen angels.”  They can deceive you, tempt you, and harm you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. (Hopler)
       Yes, the gobblins will get you if you don’t watch out!
       Jesus, in His earthly ministry, encountered many times evil spirits/demons.  The first recorded miracle of Jesus by Mark is driving out an unclean spirit.  This spirit challenged Jesus,  “What do You have to do with us, Jesus–Nazarene?  Have You come to destroy us?  I know who You are–the Holy One of God!”  (Mark 1:24, HCSB)  Jesus rebuked him, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” (1:25, HCSB)  I have wondered why the unclean spirit was commanded to be quiet; it was a truthful testimony.  However, we must look at this more closely for it came from unclean lips.  The testimony was true, but the source of the witness was unclean.
       Back to the upcoming weekend and holiday, we should not, we must not compromise with unclean, demonic works of the devil.  We are to stay away from dangerous occult practices that would involved ungodly spirits.  Do not open doors where evil may enter.  True the believer cannot be possessed by evil spirits, but they can be oppressed.  They can be mentally and emotionally attacked as well as spiritually attacked.  Don’t give in to the devil or his minions.  Stay away from anything that is related to the occult!
       Or the gobblins will get you if you don’t watch out!
       I am not going to go into detail regarding all the different kinds of evil that may confront you.  I will relate a story to you.  When in was in the military one of my coworkers came to me telling me that he had gotten saved over the weekend.  The man was a changed person–completely changed.  It was an amazing transformation.  A couple of months later he came to me and asked what I thought about a new movie that was coming out; he was planning on going to see it–The Exorcist.  I asked him why he came to me, and by doing so indicated that he had questions regarding the movie.  I did mention that we are to stay away from any form of evil, and not to let the devil get a foothold on our life.  He went.  He couldn’t sleep after that for several nights.   He reverted back to his old self, and worse.  I could no longer even talk to him about his previous experience with the Lord or he would explode.  Don’t give in to the devil.
       The gobblins will get you if you don’t watch out!
       Paul writes to us simply, telling us to stay away from the forces of darkness and evil.  “…What fellowship does light have with darkness?  What agreement does Christ have with Belial?…” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15, HCSB)  He continues in verse 17, “Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you.”    In plain simple language, avoid what is unclean, what is evil.  Don’t open the door for any kind of unclean spirit.  If you do, there is the possibility that
       the gobblins will get you if you don’t watch out!

                    –Matthew 25:6 (NKJV)
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Quiet!  Listen.  Do you hear that?  Nothing.  That’s right, nothing.  Silence.  The hammer of the heavenly Carpenter is no longer driving nails.  Perhaps, do you suppose that the last mansion is completed?  The time is drawing nearer and nearer.  Maybe the saints of the ages past are gathered round to watch the unveiling of the last one.  Abraham is there with a smile, Moses leaning against his staff nodding his head.  Nehemiah is going around checking the project.  The last one.  Remember the words of Jesus prior to His going to the cross.

          “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
                    –John 14:1-4 (NKJV)

     The Carpenter–Jesus, went back to glory and has prepared a place for each of His followers.  But when, where is His coming?  How much longer shall His bride have to wait?  If the last nail has been driven, when will the Lord return?  When the last name has been placed on the last address in heaven.  It is soon, the homes are prepared and only wait for their unveiling.  

          “The Lord does not delay His promise as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.”
                    –2 Peter 3:9 (HCSB)

His promise is true; it will happen!  
     Knowing that He is ready to return we should then be all the more ready for it as well.  He does not tell us when it will happen, only that we are to be ready.  “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…” (2 Peter 3:10, NKJV)  It will be sudden, it will be timely, it will be when the last person is ready for His appearing.  

          “Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found in peace without spot or blemish before Him…  Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of the immoral and fall from your own stability.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.  Amen.”
                    –2 Peter 3:14,17-18 (HCSB)

There are several things that Peter tells us to do while waiting for the return of Jesus.  1) make every effort to be found in peace; 2) make every effort to be without spot or blemish; 3) be on guard; 4) don’t be led away; 5) don’t fall from your stability; 6) grow in grace; 7) grow in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
       The day is coming.  Be on guard, be ready, don’t become a slacker in these last days; don’t become lackadaisical in your standards and doctrine.  Continue in steadfastness for He is coming!