IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW
(By: Terry Wilson)
The human race, in one sense, is all waiting each their turn for their appointment with death. No one knows for certain when that appointment will be, but like Terry, you can be certain it need not be a fearful time. Departure from this life can be your promotion into eternal glory - eternal joy - when God determines your last heart beat. Terry came close to his final appointment ... but probably was spared by God to come back and warn YOU it is not too late to meet the eternal GIVER and SUSTAINER and PRESERVER of life - whose name is Jesus Christ ... Terry's Lord and Savior who desires to be YOURS - if He's not already.
I have personally ventured "into the valley of the shadow" on two occasions while suffering a serious infection during 2011.
The second occasion was more profound than the first because I was only hours away from death when I arrived at the hospital in a semi-conscious condition.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. - Psalms 23:4
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? - 1 Cor. 15:55
The infection had returned with a vengeance ... causing my kidneys to shut down along with other organs in my body. My heart and lungs were just hanging on to life.
I could smell the presence of death around me as I kept drifting in and out of this dark place ...
A valley of dark shadows and wailing
I did not experience any tunnel with a bright light at the end, as reported by many of those who experienced a 'near death experience.' I was in this place (the outer darkness), a place that I call the valley of the shadow of death.
As a believer in Jesus Christ: I recalled Psalm 23 that says: For me to fear no evil for God is with me ... And this place reeked of death, destruction and evil!
I found myself looking directly into the face of the shadow of death who had come to claim me. I looked him straight in the face and said to him: 'My life belongs to God!'
At this, the shade of death fled from me like a frightened rabbit.
Not long after this, to the amazement of the doctors, I began to recover.
It is now December of 2011 and all this happened in August of the same year, and I feel in better health now than I did before.
2 Corinthians 13:5 tells us to test ourselves, whether we be in the faith or not:
'Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?'
When a person is confronted with the 'shadow' (shade) of death in 'the place of the dead', He or she, will then know if they be in the faith or not.
Referring back to 2 Corinthians 13:5, we see the word 'reprobates''
Basically this means to be "immoral, unprincipled," or "to be handed over for destruction."
The New King James translation of the Bible uses the term 'disqualified' rather than 'reprobate'' but yet still holds the same general content of the meaning of the term.
Staff Note: Terry's born again testimony can be accessed at the following link: The City Of Bells!
Dear Reader - are you at peace with God? If not, you can be. Do you know what awaits you when you die? You can have the assurance from God that heaven will be your home, if you would like to be certain. You can even have that assurance RIGHT NOW! Either Jesus Christ died for your sins, or He didn't (He did!). Are you prepared to stand before God on the Judgment Day and tell Him that you didn't need the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross to have your sins forgiven and get in right-standing with God? We plead with you...please don't make such a tragic mistake.
To get to know God, to be at peace with God, to have your sins forgiven, to make certain heaven will be your home for eternity, to make certain that you are in right-standing with God right now ... please click here to help you understand the importance of being reconciled to God. What you do about being reconciled to God will determine where you will spend eternity, precious one. Your decision to be reconciled to God is the most important decision you'll ever make in this life, because in Christ, it is impossible to put a value on the worth of your soul in light of eternity.
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Remember: All that we do in this life comes back to our God-given purpose which is to serve and glorify God. The money and assets we accumulate, the fame and power we've attained or seek to attain - all of the things of this nature will one day pass away, but those lives of others we impact for Jesus Christ will last for eternity, and we will be rewarded for the part we helped play by impacting those lives ... for eternity.
(Matthew 6:19-21 is our assurance)