"The Lord is our light and our salvation, and He gives us power over fears!"

The Lord is our light and our salvation. Yes. And He gives us power over all our fears.

Hello and welcome to the weekly broadcast of Jeshurun Ministries program. Preach the gospel. Trouble is coming to the earth. The program designed to give you creative solutions to prevailing in difficult times.

Yes, we can all recall the panic that gripped the world during the 2019 pandemic in which WHO estimates there were 18 to 28 million deaths and many other sources say there were much much more in that scary time. The daily pressures testing the faith of believers were enormous. Here are just a few of the questions that people were asking themselves. Should I take the vaccine? Then which vaccine should I take? If I do not take the vaccine, how do I protect myself? Should I wear a mask or not? These were just a few of the many questions facing everyone in the world almost every day. And those who could truly say that the Lord was their light and their salvation discovered that they were less anxious than many others. They moved about with a certain sense of peace and confidence that guided them from one day to the other. And they discovered that they were able to keep it together because the Light of God guided them.

Many of us learned that in times of trouble, Satan uses his servants to create darkness by muddying the waters with disinformation, making it difficult for us to see clearly to make the right choices. And these were all highly consequential decisions. And some people panicked and made the wrong choice and paid dearly. But most of those who truly love God did not allow fear to overcome them and they ended up making better decisions, better choices in the long run. They did not bend to the pressures that were testing everyone's faith.

My friend, the time may come very soon when we are daily faced with similar situations, when we're faced daily with multiple existential decisions every time we move. But fear not. Jesus Christ told the people, "I am the Light of the world, and he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." In other words, all who follow Him will be able to see clearly, to make right choices, right decisions, under pressure, and no matter how trying the times may be.

But why is God called light? Well, someone wrote that light is the force that in life that reveals the pathway ahead of us and exposes the obstacles that are in the way. Yes. And it illuminates everything around above and even below us. It even illuminates what's inside of us and inside of others. And God is described as light because He provides the intellectual and the spiritual light needed to navigate the issues of life in a dark sinful world. Without the light of God shining in our hearts, we can run into all kinds of obstacles and end up making all kinds of bad decisions, bad choices, some of which can be fatal.

Situations presently at hand and ahead of us can appear to be real dim and dismal without the light of God's presence my friend. The 2019 pandemic taught us how dark, how cold, how lonely the world can become during times of crisis. And these most especially are the times when we are most in need of being guided by a light. A light that is brighter. A light that is consistent. A light that is steadier. And those who have discovered the light of Jesus Christ are now more aware of the darkness that enshrouds the kingdom of the world.

Psalm 27 tells us, "The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?" Of course, the answers to these questions are number one, there's no one that I should fear apart from God. And number two, there's nothing that I will be afraid of facing or dealing with when the Lord is my light and my salvation.

It goes on to say, when the wicked, even my enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. And though an host or an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. In other words, no matter what evil or wickedness comes upon the earth, whether it be plagues, natural disasters, wars, famines, financial collapse, I will not walk in fear. I will walk in the confidence trusting in the Lord who is my guiding light who will preserve me in every difficult event. No matter who the enemy sends against me, I will not fear because the Lord will cause them to stumble and fall.

Now, does the Word of God say, "Fear not 365 times?" You might have heard this before. According to one source, the word fear is mentioned approximately 385 times in the King James version of the Bible. And it is used in several different ways. However, it is never used to make us fearful, but rather to provide comfort and assurance. One source has been quoted as saying that fear not is mentioned 365 times and they say that God has given us one fear not for every day of the year. And this sounds great, but this has since been proven to be an exaggeration. Yet there are thousands of words of comfort in the Holy Scriptures that drives away fearful thoughts. There's one for almost every minute of the day. And there's one for every situation that you and I will ever face in this life.

One of the things that we're learning is that generation Z and the millennials are fearful, very fearful according to reports. And so speaking about fear, it is a huge issue among the young people. Yes. And this fear is often called generation anxiety. Psychological reports released recently say that young adults between the ages of 18 to 24 are significantly more likely to present with symptoms of anxiety and depression at a higher rate than older adults. And their first major fear usually stem from the fears of economic instability where they feel that retirement will be impossible because of high debt. So why are the younger people so fearful? Do they not know that God eliminates fear?

Their second major fear is about the results of climate change. And these two generations Z and the millennials are very pessimistic about the future of planet Earth. And this has happened perhaps because of all the news about climate change and natural disasters that have filled the airwaves over these years.

Their third greatest fear comes from social comparisons apparently. And this fear continues to increase because of the amount of time spent on social media. And finally, a great fear that young people have and that they are wrestling with today is the fear of immaturity. They are grappling with all kinds of fears of the unexpected as they approach adulthood and are uncertain whether they will have the maturity level to be able to handle them.

Do they not know that our God says to them, "Fear not." Says to all of us, "I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am Your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you.

And so, yes indeed, fear is increasing in the world. It is trending upward and raising anxiety levels along with it. The World Economic Forum produces what is called global risk reports annually. Well, the 2026 report says that 57% of global leaders anticipate a turbulent and a stormy outlook for the next 10 years. And there's something called post pandemic stress. And this refers to things like negative emotions in the workplace and in their everyday lives which became elevated during the recent pandemic and have not gone down even though COVID 19 has gone away.

The report gives four reasons for forecasting turbulent and stormy times. Number one, it says we have entered a new confrontational stage of competition among nations. Number two, AI will disrupt the labor market and erode truth through misinformation. Number three, extreme weather events will cause the collapse of ecosystems and changes in Earth's systems. Number four, societies will be weakened because governments are no longer working together on global solutions. These are all dismal realities that we all must face. And the best way to face them is head on carrying the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of His truth, holding it high as a banner as we move forward with determination, with confidence, looking unto Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

And so, what are some of the things that are going on in the world today? As we look on the horizon, we see a whole lot seem to be going on. A most recent fear that we have been dealing with has been the Hantavirus caused by rodent droppings. This deadly virus has dominated the news cycle recently. Although experts keep saying it is no COVID 19, but yet people are reacting as if it is covid all over again. WHO says while it is dangerous and deadly, it is not as easily contracted as COVID 19 was. Praise the Lord. However, it has a 50% mortality rate and a long incubation period averaging 6 weeks. The virus to this time is a rare virus and only the Andes strain is transmitted between people. But yet there's already widespread social media panic, workplace anxiety, and travel hesitancy.

And there are other things going on in the world. Apparently, there are 40 volcanoes in a continuing eruption state since March of 2026 this year. And some of these have had lava flows and ash emissions, the reports say. Then there are extreme heat waves even though the summer has not really begun. Uninhabitable regions in the world exist. Creeping drought and famines, wildfires and flooding. And then there's a threat of an extremely dangerous hurricane cycle in 2026. Not to mention nuclear war escalation amid global conflicts. These are just a few of the things that are going on in the world presently. I do not want to frighten you but just to make you aware of the things that are in the world. And these are in accordance with scripture. For instance, there's also in the Arctic high impact 52 feet mega tsunamis driven by landslide on the Canada and the Alaska side. These are driven by climate change. And yet our God says, "Fear not, for I am with you." He's promising us He will bring us through every difficult situation.

And so here are some comforting Words from Matthew 24, which is a very uh ominous chapter in the Bible that tells you of so many troubles that are coming on the earth. But yet Christ seeks to comfort us also. And He says many consoling things to us as He lays out the calamities and disasters that are soon coming upon the earth. In verse six, He says, "See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass." And then in verse 13, He says, "He who endures to the end shall be saved." No doubt these events will require endurance. And He encourages us to hang in there. Then in verse 22, He assures us that for the sake of the elect, the faithful of God, those days will be cut short. Hallelujah. In other words, we must recall His Word that promises us that He will not place upon us more than we can bear. And remembering this faithful Word will help us endure every hardship, every difficult situation. And so we cannot say that we have not been warned. Then we turn to verse 42 where we are told, "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour Your Lord is coming." And we can be certain that this is a serious warning because it is again repeated in verse 44 where He says, "Therefore, you also be ready at all times. Bless the Lord for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him." And so an old adage reminds us to be forewarned is to be for armed.

What about this expression faster than a speeding bullet more powerful than a locomotive? It's, no it's not. The understanding that God is light takes on new meaning for us when we consider that light is the fastest thing on earth. Not Superman light. No object on Earth that has mass can travel faster than the speed of light. A bolt or ray of light can move at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. And when we are shining a flashlight into the darkness, we very seldom think about how swiftly the light is moving because it does not appear to be traveling at all. It seemed to be instantaneous. As we point the flashlight, it seemed to immediately light up the darkness. And this means that God, since He is called light, can get to us faster than anything else on earth. He boasts of being so fast that even before we pray, He sends the answer. Yes, friend, God can reach us faster than a ray of light.

Preparing ourselves to face catastrophic times. I encourage you to keep these words in your heart. So as we conclude, there are so many times in scripture when God describes Himself or His Word as light. For instance, in Psalm 119 verse 105, the Word of God is described as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. And this means He shows us where to walk day by day, moment by moment, pointing out what is ahead. Why then are you fearful?

Then in Psalm 43 and 3, the psalmist cries out, "Send out Your light and Your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy hill.

And friend, is Jesus Christ not the Light of the world? Well, in John 8 and 12, He says, "I am the Light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Therefore, follow Christ, and He will light up the path before you so that you can see clearly.

Then in 1 John 1 and 5, we're told, 'this then is the message which we have heard of Him and declare unto you that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.' And so to be a relationship with God our Father with His Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit means, demands, requires that we walk not in the darkness of sin but in the honesty and the integrity of the light of His Word.

And finally in John 1:4 to 5 we are told in Him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Finally, friend, we're headed to a city where there will be no more darkness. No night, no shadiness, no confusion, and God will be the only source of light in that city. Revelation 22:5 says it this way, "There shall be no night there. They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. Glory to God in the highest.

You've been listening to this message and perhaps you do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We want to give you an opportunity to make that commitment today and to make the Lord the light of your life. Please say this prayer after me. Engage your heart and say this prayer with sincerity:

• Father, I am a sinner.

• I am sorry for all my sins.

• I crave Your forgiveness.

• Please forgive me.

• Thank You, Father, for Your forgiveness.

• Dear Lord Jesus, welcome to my heart. Please make it Your home.

• I give You the key to my heart because I now belong to You forever.

• You have my permission to keep the key.

• Please give me the Holy Spirit to open my eyes wide, to give me wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, to show me the path to walk in, to make me wise and to give me peace in troubling times.

• Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul. Amen.

Welcome friend to the body of believers in Christ. So many of us are here waiting for the return of the Good Master. In the meantime, we want to encourage you to begin reading the Word of God. Begin in the book of John, then go to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We also want you to let your pastor know that you've committed your life to the Lord and you want to be baptized. Tell him you want to be baptized the way Jesus Christ was baptized.

Pray daily. Attend at your local church. And one glad morning the Savior will come and receive us all unto Himself. And we shall indeed forever be with the Lord. God bless and keep you in Jesus mighty name. Amen.