SPECIAL PRÉCIS ON DIVINE PROTECTION OF THE REMNANT IN THE DAYS OF ANTICHRIST: NO FEAR, SAVE FOR FEAR OF GOD! – (WITH VIDEO)

1. THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.

You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and

understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.” – PSALM 91:1-16, AMPC

KEY TERM: “REFUGE.” ‘Machaseh’ [מַחְסִ֣י]: “Lit., ‘A Shelter of Hope, a Place of Trust.’” NOTE: “The Hebrew word ‘machaseh’ is used to denote a place of refuge or shelter, often in a metaphorical sense. It conveys the idea of Safety, Protection, and Trust, particularly in the context of God’s protection over His people. ‘It is frequently used in the Psalms to describe God as a Refuge for those who [truly] seek Him.”’

QUOTATION. “His help is timely. ‘God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1). His Help is very wise. He knows how to give each person help that is proper and suitable for him. His Help is most powerful, for deliverance by man is in vain (Psalm 108:12). His Help is more than help, for He bears all the burden and supplies all the need. ‘The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’ (Hebrews 13:6). Because God has already been our Help, we can have confidence in Him for the present and the future.” ― CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON, Faith’s Checkbook: Daily Devotional – Promises for Today, 1888; edited

COMMENTARY. (1-8) “‘He that by Faith Chooses God for his Protector, shall find all in him that he needs or can desire.’ And those who have found the comfort of making the Lord their Refuge, cannot but desire that others may do so. The spiritual life is protected by Divine Grace from the temptations of Satan, which are as the snares of the fowler, and from the contagion of sin, which is a noisome pestilence.

‘Great Security is promised to believers in the midst of danger.’ Wisdom shall keep them from being afraid without cause, and Faith shall keep them from being unduly afraid. Whatever is done, our Heavenly Father’s Will is done; and we have no reason to fear. God’s people shall see, not only God’s Promises fulfilled, but His Threatenings. Then let sinners come unto the Lord upon His Mercy-Seat, through the Redeemer’s Name; and encourage others to trust in Him also.

(9-16) ‘Whatever happens, nothing shall hurt the believer; though trouble the present it be not joyous but grievous.’ Those who rightly know God, will set their love upon Him. They by prayer constantly call upon Him. His Promise is, that He will in due time Deliver the believer out of trouble, and in the mean time be with him in trouble. The Lord will manage all his worldly concerns, and preserve his life on earth, so long as it shall be good for him. For encouragement in this He looks unto Jesus. ‘He shall live long enough; till he has done the work he was sent into this world for, and is ready for Heaven. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him? A man may die young, yet be satisfied with living. But a wicked man is not satisfied even with long life. At length the believer’s conflict ends; he has done for ever with trouble, sin, and temptation.” – MATTHEW HENRY, Exposition of the Old and New Testaments, 6 vols., 1708-1710; edited

II. BLESSED ASSURANCE

Beloved, if we are honest with ourselves, there is not a man nor woman among us who is not concerned about the Days of Darkness that are surrounding us and become ever darker by the day, if not the hour. So did this Psalm come to me with some Urgency in the past few days, for our Comfort and Assurance that, despite the Dangers:

‘All will be well enough for those who TRULY FOLLOW THE CHRIST.

• WE ARE SEALED. “Now it is God who establishes and confirms us [in joint fellowship] with you in Christ, and who has anointed us [empowering us with the gifts of the Spirit]; it is He who has also put His seal on us [that is, He has appropriated us and certified us as His] and has given us the [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as a pledge [like a security deposit to guarantee the fulfillment of His promise of eternal life].” – 2 CORINTHIANS 1:21-22, AMP

• WE ARE PROTECTED. “The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake. Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over. Surely or only goodness, mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.” – PSALM 23:1-6, AMPC

• WE ARE LED. “But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father—the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future].” – JOHN 16:13, AMP

III. RECKLESS INDIFFERENCE

For any number of reasons – and one primarily – the American Church of 2025 is definitively NOT preparing for the Last Days. No, beloved, they have for the most part decided to make their Home right here on Planet Earth in these glorious United States of America, following hard after its Warrior-President.

NOT READY! Remarkably, the Evangelical (primarily White) Church seems utterly ‘Indifferent’ to the undeniable Collapse of the American Order under its watch and President Donald Trump’s stewardship.

In fact, they overwhelmingly support him and his policies!

A superb analysis by D. ALAN BAKER, founder and president of Journey Pastoral Coaching (LLC) in Orlando, Florida tells the story well. After 43 years of pastoral, missions and educational ministry, he now devotes his life to building cutting-edge Millennial Ministers for a lifetime of healthy and effective ministry.

The title of his hard-hitting, no holds barred Essay is cast in the form of A QUESTION: “Where is the Church Going in 2025?” (Journey Pastoral Counseling, Jan. 1, 2025; edited). So, let’s dive into what he sees as NINE FATAL FLAWS exhibited by Today’s Church that, without Radical Repentance, doom her to Final Destruction.

OPEN. “In his celebrated novel describing the time of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities (1859), CHARLES DICKENS’ opening lines are breathtakingly appropriate for Today: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity’ … In these thirty-nine words, Dickens reminds us that two opposites can, at the same time, be true. Where, in London at the end of the 18th century, it was the Best of Times, an age filled with Wisdom and Belief, in Paris, it was quite the opposite; it was the Worst of Times, an Age of Foolishness and Incredulity.”

1. DILUTION. “‘The word‘Religion’ comes from the Latin word ‘religare,’ meaning ‘To bind.’ From a sociological point of view, Religion is a coherent system of beliefs and practices through which the community of believers know who they are and what they are to do. These beliefs and practices are held to be rooted in and expressive of the Sacred Order, both grounding and transcending existence. They tell and enact the story that holds the community together.’ – ROD DRYER.  Diluted doctrine, diluted disciples. weak doctrine, weak faith community. ‘Doctrine will continue to be de-emphasized in 2025.’ TED Talks will continue to be de rigueur, the primary teaching form. The focus of these talks will be on Two Things: Personal Happiness and Success.
2. DIMINISHMENT. “‘Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak. Churches that are not centered on the exaltation of the majesty and beauty of God will scarcely kindle a fervent desire to “Declare His glory among the nations.’ – DR. JOHN PIPER. The weakening of the Biblical Mission will continue. ‘The Focus will be on Growing our local church rather than making disciples of Jesus in all nations, beginning in our altars and cities.’ The Prize will not be Heaven’s Christ growing in the hearts and lives of people but positive numbers glowing in our reports. This is a continuation from 2023.”
3. SUPERFICIALITY. “‘The fact is that the meaning of life, in all of its grandeur, complexity, and tragedy should be understood nowhere more profoundly than in the Church on Sunday morning. This is because it is being understood in the light of God’s Word. This, however, is an uncommon experience. We are, instead, adrift in so many of our churches on a Sea of Triviality, Amusement, and Superficiality. And I dare say that none of this would be true if our knowledge of Scripture were better, if our knowledge of God were deeper, and if our desire to make Him central in our worship were greater.’ – DR. DAVID F. WELLS. ‘Little Doctrine and light Worship mean lean discipleship. In its place, “experiences and feelings-driven faith” have taken root and are yielding a dangerous harvest.’ By all signs, discipleship will continue to be equated with a five-week class. Biblical illiteracy will remain high in the church. Sadly, Christians won’t change their handling of Scripture, still not studying the Bible, much less reading it. This will be emphasized by pulpits where the Bible is not preached and sometimes not even carried.”
4. CHURCH-IDOLATRY. “‘Leonardo da Vinci invited a friend to offer critique of his masterpiece of the last supper. The friend remarked, the most striking thing in the painting is the cup! Da Vinci immediately took his brush and wiped out the cup and said, nothing in my painting shall attract more attention than the face of my master. Nothing in our church ministry or our leadership shall attract more attention than the love we have for Jesus.’ – A. C. DIXON. “‘Sadly, without a Revival, the focus of the Church will be itself rather than Christ, working harder to attract attendees to the church than making disciples of Jesus.’ To attract more people, topical and practical themes focused on the Self rather than the Soul will continue to be front and center in the Pulpit. Expository preaching and Christ-focused teaching will be the exception rather than the rule as Pastors focus on believers’ Happiness rather than their Holiness, the Self rather than the Soul. It will be ‘All about the numbers!’ Andso Church Branding will be King. ‘Success’ will be measured by numbers in services and events.”
5. RELATIVISM. “‘Therefore, in a Post-Christian World and in an often Post-Christian Church it is imperative to point out with love where Apostasy lies. We must openly discuss with all who will listen, treating all men as fellow men, but we must call Apostasy, Apostasy. If we do not do that, we are not ready for Reformation, Revival, and a Revolutionary Church in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are all too easily infiltrated with Relativism and Synthesis in our own day. We tend to lack Antithesis.’ – DR. FRANCIS SCHAEFFER. God gives us Salvation individually but not privately. This is a Fundamental Doctrine of the New Testament. Paul extensively writes about our Baptism into the Body of Christ at Salvation. ‘But because of the influence of American Culture and its emphasis on “Individual Freedoms,” most American Christians are now living privatized faith built on personal interpretation of Scripture and separated from corporate life in Christ.’ They do so thinking they are making their own decisions, not realizing how much their decisions are driven by a desire to fit in with the Culture. The Bible calls this ‘Worldliness’ or ‘Loving the World.’ This will lead to more ‘Religious Relativism,’ a.k.a. ‘My truth, your truth.’ Increasing numbers of Christians will define their faith and practice not by biblical teaching but by their internal compass of feelings.”
6. SELF-IDOLATRY. “‘Everyone is now in the business of Relentless Self-Promotion: Presenting themselves, explaining themselves, defending themselves, selling themselves or sharing their inner thoughts and emotions as never before in human history … The Great Goals of Life, we are told, are to gain the widest possible public attention and to reach as many people in the world with our products, and as always, our leading product is us’ – DR. OS GUINESS … And the more we neglect our souls, the more we miss The Savior. ‘The Self is the number one obstacle to full life in Him: It’s hard for Jesus to sit on the throne of our lives when we won’t move off of it.’ Case in point: The worship of God presented as a ‘worship experience,’ gain placing the Self at the center. All signs say this will continue.”
7. ISOLATION. “‘A tree planted in a clearing of an old forest will grow more successfully than when it is planted in isolation in an open field. The roots of the new planting will follow more easily and deeply the hidden pathways of old root systems. Likewise human beings thrive, best, and following the path of life already taken by others before them. None of us needs to reinvent the wheel or live as if no one has preceded us in the pathways of the wise.’ – DR. JAMES M. HOUSTON. “‘Privatized or isolated faith will grow among Christians.’ Believers will, effectively, deny the core New Testament Doctrine that at Salvation, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the Body of Christ – to come into Communion with Christ is to come into Community with His Body, living as active, serving members of the Body of Christ (Ephesians; I Corinthians 12-14; Romans 12; etc.). Instead, they will continue to choose the ‘Attendee Option’ they think God offers. Ironically, this will lead to a continuing dearth of meaningful relationships in the Church.”
8. PRESUMPTION. “‘We are merely stewards, not lords, of all that is put into our trust. The sovereignty of God puts us in our place, and that place is in God’s service.’ – DR. ALBERT MOHLER. “‘Despite the expected improved economy in 2025, church finances will be even more challenged. The Core Issue is that churches are not teaching the Word of God, specifically, life stewardship or a holistic life in Christ. Topical, Self-focused preaching has displaced Doctrinal Teaching focused on Christ and Discipleship. As a result, Christians are not living as Disciple-Stewards but as Believer-Owners. Financially, this means people have separated giving from The Faith: Financial Giving is seen as an Expense rather than a Holy Duty (‘tithe’) and opportunity (‘offerings’), directed by God in His Word. This will lead to Church Leadership seeing themselves as Director-Owners of church finances rather than Servant-Stewards: They will make financial decisions based first on money rather than ministry and programs rather than people.”
9. EXODUS. “‘All too often we have prided ourselves on our Orthodoxy, but grown our churches through methods and techniques as worldly as the worldliest of Christian adaptations to passing expressions of the Spirit of the Age.’ – AN EVANGELICAL MANIFESTO. ‘People will continue to leave the Church altogether.’ Because of the weaknesses of the 21^st Century American Church and the force of 21^st century American Culture, people will choose to abandon the Church and become full-throttle Devotees of Culture, following its ‘Influencers as surrogate Pastor-Priests.’ But there is already a Second Exodus from Evangelical churches, and this move will continue: The move from Evangelical Churches to Conservative Traditional and Orthodox Churches – especially among young men and young families.”

THE REMNANT CHURCH. “Yes, for much of the Church, it will be the Worst of Times (even if they don’t realize it), but for a sizable portion of the Church: ‘It will be the Best of Times: There will be a powerful strengthening of God’s Remnant Church in 2025.’ Here’s [a sample of] what I see coming in 2025 for Remnant Churches.

Doctrine will again take center stage in Remnant Churches!’ Along with it will come a return to Expository Preaching and a subsequent Discipleship Explosion. ‘There will be a small but strong Resurgence of Prayer in these churches.’ These disciples will even gather to pray outside the Church. ‘People will call out to God for His Coming in Acts 2 fashion!’ ‘Biblical Illiteracy, though high in the Church at large, will find itself greatly challenged in Remnant Churches where Pulpits will focus on Cardinal Doctrine and Mission.’ Parachurch ministries will play a decisive role in this move, sparking a slow return to not only reading but ‘Studying God’s Word!’ And still more.”

IV. REPONSIBLE LAMPLIGHTERS

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” – MATTHEW 25:6-13, NKJV

Selah.

After a review of over a dozen articles dealing with How to Get Ready for what lies ahead in these Dark Days, I respectfully turn again to MIKE LIVINGSTONE, a seasoned Missionary-Pastor to Kenya now serving as content editor for Lifeway Christian Resources. The title of his piece: “7 Ways to Prepare for Jesus’ Return” (Explore the Bible, May 6, 2019; edited).

1. INTEGRITY. “Do you want to be prepared for Jesus’ Second Coming? Then live like His First Coming mattered! … [Jesus commanded] “Engage in My business until I come back’ (Luke 19:13) … Those who [truly] profess Christ as Lord and [truly] live according to their profession will receive great reward when Jesus Returns.”
2. DISCERNMENT. “Twice in Mark 13 Jesus warned His disciples not to be led astray by False Claims: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you… false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect’ (vv. 5-6,21-22) … The Warning of Scripture is consistent: Use Discernment in listening to those who claim to have all the details of the End Times figured out, and ignore those who resort to date setting end time events.”
3. TRUST. “‘Now concerning that day or hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son​—but only the Father. Watch! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming’ (Mark 13:32-33). If Jesus was content not to know the day or hour, then let’s stop [foolishly] speculating about it. [And yet, ‘Watch! Be alert!’].”
4. HOPE. Paul reminded Titus that Jesus’ First Coming brought salvation and it instructs us how to live ‘Sensible, righteous, and godly lives’ in this Present Age. It is our ‘Blessed hope’—the Expectation of Jesus’ Return—that compels us to do so (Titus 2:11-13).”
5. ENCOURAGEMENT. “The Promise that ‘The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout!’ in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is followed by a command: “Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:18) … Scripture’s Teachings about the Second Coming are not given to [merely] satisfy our personal fascination with future events but that the Body of Christ might ‘Encourage one another with [His] Promises.’”
6. EXPECT! “If we’re not careful, the Delay in Jesus’ Return will lead us to Complacency. ‘Living in the Expectation that He could Return Today compels us to live every day for what really matters—for Eternity.’”
7. STAND! “Jesus warned of troubling events as we near the End of the Age, including Persecution of believers (Mark 13:7-9). Then He added that nothing—not even Persecution—should distract us from the one necessary thing: ‘Preach the Gospel to all nations!’ (v. 10).”

CODA. Along with all this we must also PRACTICALLY PREPARE as we see President Trump’s Tariff War decimate international commerce with many experts predicting empty shelves again as with the Covid-19 Crisis. But possibly much worse.

I refer you to my book section titled, “How Should We Then Live?” (The Sixth Seal II, 2024, pp. 124-131) that reviews Spiritual, Financial, and Physical Preparation, a matter deserving of its own full treatment.

For now, beloved, just this:

‘Pray up, Stand up, Speak up, and Lift Him up! And He shall bear you up on the Wings of 10,000 Angels to Triumph over all your Adversities and Adversaries!’

Selah.

MEDIA

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/BTLeJKeZL_8