Walking Through The Valley of The Shadow of Death

This is an awesome day to live! The Bible predicts that darkness will cover the earth and gross darkness, the people (Isa. 60). Jesus predicted that there would be tribulations, trials, troubles, famines, earthquakes, and all kinds of natural disasters.

The apostle Paul declared in 2 Timothy 3 that perilous times would come because humans would misbehave. At the same time this terrible decay and deterioration of human morals and godly standards fall, in the midst of the heart of the Church, we see the glory of the Lord being manifested.  We also know, as Jesus foretold, that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church and that He will never leave us nor forsake us. We know from the Book of Ephesians that the Lord is coming for a Church that is without spot, wrinkle, blemish, or any such thing. Obviously, as we live out these end times, day after day, we are going to see both of these things manifest at the same time.

What do you do, as a born-again, Spirit-filled, Bible-believing Christian, and how do you live in such an environment?

What do we do about things like the threat of anthrax, chemical warfare, or biological warfare? What do we do about terrorist attacks, such as those sustained by the World Trade Center, the free-world embassies, battleships, restaurants, and hotels? These are big questions that every human is asking today.  The Bible is clear about the provision and protection of the Lord that is upon our lives.

One of the most famous verses on protection (and one that I have used very, very often) is Psalm 91. It’s a covenant set of verses, coming out of the heart of the psalmist as he praises his God for the divine, angelic presence that is encamped ’round about him to keep him in all of his ways. I have stood on Psalm 91 the entirety of my ministry life.

Since I’ve been a Christian leader, I have always imparted these wonderful verses to everyone around me. I believe them with all of my heart, and I believe they are to be prayed over, confessed, and stood upon.

As you board our ministry jet and turn to enter the cabin, you see a big sign that says “PS. 91.” Every time we start the engines to fly anywhere, we say a prayer and confess to the Lord that we are standing on Psalm 91 and believing God for His safety, His protection, and His angels to be camped ’round about us.

Every service, as I dismiss our local church family, I speak Psalm 91 over their lives, and I ask them to “amen” it when I’m done. You could say it’s our benediction. I want the believers to leave our facilities knowing that both the angels of the Lord and the Lord Himself go with them and that they have God speed. That confession, word for word, is as follows:

I confess Psalm 91 over you right now, in Jesus’ name.

I say that no evil shall befall you, and no plague shall come nigh your dwelling, for He has given His angels charge over you to keep you in all of your ways.

I say that no drugged or drunk driver, no rapist, no burglar, no suicide, no murderer, no evil spirit, no evil person, no sickness, no disease, no fire, no flood, no crash—in fact, no evil of any kind is going to come near you or your immediate loved ones.

You are going to live in safety, prosperity, great peace, great joy, and be a powerful witness for Him until I see you again . . . in Jesus’ name.

I would like to sow this to your family and suggest that you speak it over your children as you send them to school, your spouse as you send them to work or leave them at home, and yourself every time you journey and travel—again, not because of any paranoia but simply by way of standing in faith and speaking the Word of God against the enemy of your soul.

In my life time I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death many times.  I’m not sure which one was the worst valley but I do know that each time the spirit of death tried to overshadow me.  He is for real, this demon, and he wants to scare us and to stop us.

I was in the valley of the shadow of death when I was a Marine leader in Vietnam.  Death lost and Jesus and I won!

I was in the valley of the shadow of death as my son Josh was born and the doctor informed me that I had to choose either my son or my wife.   They both lived.  Death lost and Jesus and I won!

I was in the valley of the shadow of death when my wife, Vickie was diagnosed with killer cancer.  Death lost and Jesus and Vickie won!

I was in the valley of the shadow of death when when my grandson Malakai almost died as a child BUT the spirit of death lost and Jesus and Malakai won!

I was in the valley of the shadow of death when my daughter in law, Trish, was diagnosed with killer cancer.  Death lost and Jesus and Trish won!

I was in the valley of the shadow of death when my 10 year old granddaughter, Jadyn drowned in our pool BUT the Lord Jesus raised her back up again!  Hallelujah! Death lost and Jesus and my family won!

Let me share these verses with you again:

Stay away from the carnal preacher and the play church.  Attend where the Spirit of Life is.  Attend where the Bible (the whole Bible) is taught and never settle again for a milk-toast- worldly message.  The day may come that death overshadows you and your favorite joke, poem, skit, or video may not possess enough power to overcome it.

I call you blessed, and I say you are going to keep serving the Lord Jesus Christ all the way until the trumpet blows, regardless of what happens on this planet.

Fight On!

Mark T. Barclay

Preacher of Righteousness