Chronicles of the End Times

Cloud By Day, Fire By Night, Rest in God.

Russ Scalzo

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Headlines argue. Truth holds. We open with a frank look at how modern media splinters into teams and how that noise can warp our sense of reality, then pivot to the Bible’s claim that truth is not a moving target but a person: Jesus Christ. From there, we explore Scripture as a lamp for the path—reliable when the world feels volatile—and why anchoring to the Word brings clarity, courage, and peace.

We also trace a vital thread through history: God’s promises to Israel. By revisiting the long arc of perseverance, persecution, and preservation—from the Old Testament into the modern era—we show how Israel’s story reveals God’s character and reinforces our confidence today. If He keeps covenant with Israel, He will keep us as well. That promise moves from theory to lived hope when doubt hits, prayers feel dry, or the enemy whispers condemnation. We lean into Romans’ assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God and that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

To bring this home, we reflect on the cloud by day and fire by night in Exodus and the canopy over Zion in Isaiah—images of presence, guidance, and shelter. These aren’t distant relics but signposts for weary hearts: God still leads, still covers, still lifts us high upon the rock in times of trouble. In a world rattled by wars, rumors, and disunity, we point to the only unity strong enough to last—the unity born of the Holy Spirit. Our invitation is simple and urgent: turn your eyes to Jesus, ask the Spirit to renew your strength, and take the next faithful step He opens before you.

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Speaker:

Welcome everyone. This is Russ Scalzo, Chronicles of the End Times. Thank you for listening to me today, and I hope that you're doing well, and above all else, that you're growing in the wisdom and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. For no matter where you are in this world, that will sustain you and keep you. How important is the truth? Today we get a lot of news from a lot of different places, and it seems like a lot of the networks now, they're just divided into teams, right? There's a liberal team, there's a conservative team, and pretty much they stay in that area and they just pound away at their narrative, their agenda. And the truth really doesn't apply. It moves and changes according to that narrative. Now we know that the truth is the truth, and the truth will set you free. That's the truth of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the truth. That's how important the word of God is. It's no longer just something you should read to make yourself feel good, get in touch with God here and there. No, now it is truly what it says in Psalms, the light unto our path. It is our strength, it is our song, it is the light that leads us, and it will never ever lead us in the wrong direction. Whatever the Word of God says is true because Jesus Christ is the Word of God in the flesh. That's so vital for us to understand. I wrote a study guide now, probably thirty years ago, and it was not published. I just wrote it and I used it for all my classes. And I still have people emailing me today and saying, I can't believe you you said this 30, 35 years ago and it's happening. Well, I didn't say it. The word of God said it. The Bible said it. If we can get into the Word of God, Genesis to Revelation, we will have the power that we need to overcome. Truth and knowledge are power, even more when we're talking about following Jesus Christ and having the power in the spiritual world. The next podcast I'm going to do is going to be on the history of Israel, not only in the Old Testament, but throughout history up until today. Just going over it and preparing for it has enlightened me, and I have read it many times. It's reminded me of what the Jewish people have gone through. And many of us don't realize how much persecution and devastation has happened to them even before the twentieth century. But it does give us a perspective of what God's going to do in the very near future. And why his promises to them are sure. And we ought to rejoice in that, those of us who are Gentiles saved through the blood of Jesus Christ. Because if God kept those promises to Israel all those years, and he's going to fulfill them in the very near future, we ought to feel secure as well. Because God's promises are sure. He chased me down when I didn't know him, when I didn't care to know him, when I was living the life I wanted to live, touring, playing rock and roll, acting out what I thought was my best life. Yet he pursued me and loved me. And that's what he does. And that's what he's doing for Israel right now. That's why it's so important that we understand the Word of God from start to finish, how it applies to us and the world around us. And I believe the Holy Spirit wants to encourage us today. You might be in a place where you feel like you're being pounded and attacked from every side. Things may be falling apart, or you may be sitting on top of the world, but we all know that life has its ups and downs. But through it all, God is with us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Many times the enemy will start pounding on us and telling us that we're this and we're that and we're falling short, we're not that good, God's not hearing us. Maybe we're praying and we feel like our prayers aren't being answered, we don't sense the sweet presence of God like we do on occasion and we feel like something is wrong or that God has left us. Jesus said I will never leave you or forsake you. Now if there is something in our way, if sin is in our way, then we need to confess it and clear the path. But that is not difficult to do because God is waiting to hear from us. But even when things are going right, when we feel like we're in a place that we should be, and our relationship with the Lord is open and clear, the enemy still comes at us, and there's still doubts. We all have them. No matter how great our faith may be, there are those moments of weakness and moments of trial. But today I want to remind us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. If you are in Christ Jesus, if you are living for him, and he has washed you in his precious blood, then nothing can separate you from the love of God. The scripture tells us that not demons or angels, any kind of power, principality of evil can take us away from the Lord God Almighty and separate us from his presence. Only we can do that. We can walk away, but there is no power that's going to take us away from God when we are walking where we should be walking. I love the scripture in Exodus, where God is talking about leading his people. It says in Exodus thirteen, verse twenty one, and the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give light, that they may travel by day and by night, pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. And that is representative of God's presence. And I'm sure that when they did take rest in the night and they saw that pillar of fire, that gave them great comfort, to know that the Almighty, the one that delivered them from Egypt with all these signs and wonders, was with them in the middle of the desert. That gives us great courage to know that God is always with us. His Holy Spirit, he's not going to take it from us. Even through the things that David went through, he said, Lord, do not take your Holy Spirit from me, and he never did. His love is pure. His love is true. In Isaiah chapter four, it talks about what God is going to do when he comes back. And Israel and Jerusalem are back being the center of the earth, and were all ruling and reigning during the millennial reign. It says in Isaiah chapter four, beginning in verse two, in that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and the honor of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the blood stains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment, and by a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud by day and smoke, and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a canopy, and there will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain. This is symbolic of how God is going to watch over his people, and his presence is going to cover them. And that includes you and me, and all the saved, all those who God has washed with his blood. And when we look at Psalm twenty seven, verse five, it sheds a little more light, says for he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble. He will conceal me under the cover of his tent, and he will lift me high upon a rock. The presence of God will lift us up when we are down, when we are tired. You know, our spirits are connected to our bodies here in this world. So when we're sick, we're tired, we're beaten down, it affects our spirit. But God can light that fire. God can come in and help us and pour his anointing upon us even in the worst conditions. And those of you who are listening all over the world who are going through some heavy persecution, our prayers are with you, and God's presence will keep you. For as the Lord Jesus said to Moses from the burning bush, he said, Tell them that I am sent you. I am that I am. There is no other like him. If you're struggling today, know that no matter what's going on in this world, all the turmoil. Every nation is under turmoil right now. You hear about it constantly. There's wars, rumors of new wars, discontent everywhere. Things are out of whack because we are out of line with God. We want our way or no way, and there can be no unity without the Spirit of God. He pulls us all together. So know this turn your eyes towards heaven. Touch base with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords today. Call on the name of Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to wash over you and renew you because God has a work for you to do. No matter where you are, young, old, does it matter? God can open opportunities for you. Thank you for listening today. Thank you for supporting this ministry. And the greatest support you could give is to share this podcast with someone else. God bless. This is Russ Scalzo for Chronicles of the End Times. Keep looking up. The King is coming.