Going Dark

"Remind them to be in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work, to speak evil of no man, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all meekness toward all men."
                                                                                                                                              Titus 3:1-2





As lawlessness escalates in the country around us, so does the absurdity of the presidential campaign before us. No matter on which side of the aisle you find yourself today, we can probably all agree that our governmental leaders lack the character and gravitas that once made this nation great. Corruption and moral decay careen out of control at unprecedented levels and it would seem that all that is right and good is being ridiculed and mocked.

Social media, for some, has become the coward's platform to say all manner of evil things towards those who hold opposing views. It is used to insult, disrespect, chide, and deride the very people that God has called us to minister to. And while we rant and rave towards the unfortunates that are less knowing than ourselves, we are being distracted from seeing the Only One who can effectively change things- Jesus!

The roar of the hatred and division crescendos to a tone that deafens and deceives. Every time we respond in anger and vitriol we disobey the very commands that Jesus gave to us. He warned us that these times were coming and that people would hate us just because we are His. Jesus tells us how to respond. He says, "What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops" (Matthew 10:27). We go dark when we quiet our hearts before the Lord to hear what He has to say. It is quiet and it is personal.

The problem we have is that too many believers are trying to wage war in the natural realm. The truth is that these battles can only be won in the supernatural realm. The apostle, Paul, tells us that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).

Still other believers have chosen to disengage from public debate and go radio silent. This also is not a Biblical stance. In the Old Testament, when the nation of Israel was divided (Israel and Judah) and without hope, God sent Ezekiel to tell them that He was going to restore their land and regenerate their people. He called His remnant to the ravaged land and told them to rebuild. Their assignment was to build up what had been torn down.

The Holy Spirit showed Ezekiel this by giving him a vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37). These were the skeletons of many bodies who had been dead for a very long time. They were dormant and desecrated- unable to do anything of value during a time that was crucial in their history. Then God asked Ezekiel a question. He queried, "Can these bones live?" (Ezekiel 37:3).

Ezekiel did not have the answers because, from a natural point of view, this was certainly an impossibility. However, from a divine perspective, we know that "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). It wasn't that Ezekiel lacked the faith of what God could do; it was that he was uncertain of what God's plans were.

Then God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the dead bones that God's breath would enter them, they would be covered with flesh, and that they would live and know the power of God (Ezekiel 37:4-6). Ezekiel obeyed the Word of the Lord and saw that God's Word is powerful and alive and that it also imparts life (1 Peter 1:23). The dead army of bodies became a living one and they rose to their feet to accomplish God's will.

Interestingly, all the promises that God gave to Ezekiel were not fulfilled at that time. They were a prophetic message for believers living in the last days prior to the return of Christ. These believers would become the bride of Christ that Jesus would return to reclaim for His kingdom and His glory. This is the army that would one day move across the earth preparing others for the return of Christ.

It is my belief that as a nation we are at a critical junction for our future- both naturally and supernaturally. I believe this is the time that God wants to pour out His Spirit on the earth and do great things. This will require the sacrifice of repentance and radical obedience.

He is calling us to grow closer to Himself and hear the Words that He is speaking. These are the Words that we are to shout to the world. Not our own- only His. Jesus is the One who matters right now and we need to put our eyes back on Him.

We cannot focus on those who are "lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power" (2 Timothy 3:1-5) because they distract us from the Only One who can bring revival and regeneration to our land.

God has a plan for this election cycle and it is incumbent upon each one of us to not assume what that plan may be. We have to seek His heart regarding the things that are important to Him: advancement of the Gospel, loving one another, preparation of His bride, and Him being lifted up in our individual lives and in the earth. We will never truly know His heart if we are focusing on the chaos and lawlessness we see in the natural.

I honestly do not know if our nation is barreling towards God's judgment or if He will mercifully give us a reprieve to be about His Kingdom agenda. What I do know is that whatever decision He makes will be the one that ultimately ushers in the greatest number of souls in this end-time harvest. God is good and what He does will always be for the greater good.

The thing we can do as believers is to recognize the times we are living in and not get sucked into the vortex of unholy speech, attitudes, and deception. Jesus is the anchor of Truth when we approach Him in reverence and humility. He will lead us into all truth and righteousness. Self-righteousness will rapidly lead us to destruction.

Pray for all of our leaders and presidential candidates. Recognize that these representatives merely represent the sin that is so rampant in our land. God is allowing us to see in the natural what is so prevalent supernaturally. Instead of hostility, how about some repentance?

God's Word and the Holy Spirit are the only good options for our nation today. Charles Spurgeon said, "Decayed churches can most certainly be revived by the preaching of the Word, accompanied by the coming of the heavenly breath from the four winds." Prayer is the essential catalyst.

On an individual basis, we need to conduct an honest assessment of our relationship with Jesus. Is it alive and vibrant and bearing good fruit? Do you know what Words He is telling you to speak?  Or, is it on life support that barely survives from week to week? It is not enough to only be spiritually fed once a week. The more uncertain the world around us becomes, the more important it is to have daily, one on One time with the Lord. This cannot be done solely in the public square. This is the kind of relationship that only happens by going dark!


"The coming revival must begin with a great revival of prayer. It is in the closet, with the door shut, that the sound of abundance of rain will first be heard. An increase of secret prayer with people will be the sure harbinger of blessing."
                                                                                                                                   Andrew Murray