From: "Dick Stoddard" Subject: Security Date: Mon, 3 May 2004 13:11:51 -0400 Organization: Gospel Messenger Service MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0007_01C43110.391F3200" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C43110.391F3200 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable SECURITY By Pastor Dick Security in this insane world is a rare commodity. Satan is pouring out = his evil like a flood tide, and fear is spreading across the land like a = wildfire. People are frightened and are running for shelter. Some are = running to alcohol and drugs or other destructive things as they try to = avoid facing the reality of these days of evil. Many are trying to = escape by entering into the false security of organized religion, but = there is no real refuge except into the arms of God. Oh, perhaps a little feeling of security could be the result of having a = steady job, money in the bank, or a good health insurance policy; but = all that can disappear overnight. People used to feel a degree of safety = living here in America, but that protection is crumbling by the minute. Once a man visited us with his four-year-old daughter. It was an = enjoyable visit; that is, until it became time for them to go home. The = child did not want to leave and began to demonstrate how stubborn she = could be. Different ways were tried, without success, to persuade her. = Then the father used that big lie, which upsets me so much when I hear = it. As he walked to the door, he said, "Bye, I'm going to leave you." It = worked! Suddenly, the little girl got over her stubbornness and ran, = frightened and crying, to her father. Big deal. He got his child to obey = him, but did he have to do it in such a mean way and at such a high = cost? He loves that little girl and would rather die than see her = harmed; yet he may have placed a scar on her heart, because small = children believe everything they hear from their parents. This dad did = not realize at the time that he was giving his little daughter a big = dose of insecurity. An even bigger lie-an effective, satanic control device that devastates = the flock of God-is used by many pastors to control the children of God. = It causes extreme insecurity in Christians who believe it and brings = severe discipline to those who use it. If you have been born again into = the family of God by receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior, don't ever = believe the big lie that you can lose your salvation!! No human father, = in his right mind, would ever cast his child out of his family. Isn't = God more compassionate than a human being? The Bible says, "But as many = as received him (Jesus), to them gave he power to become the sons of = God" (John 1:12-13). Do you think that after you receive Jesus into your = heart and are born again and sealed by the Spirit of God that you ever = have to worry about being disowned by God or becoming a "Heavenly = Fatherless" child? Remember, God does not have to lie to whip His children into obedience. = In fact, it is impossible for God to lie (Heb.6:18). Do you want more = security than all the money in the world can buy, more than all the = armies in the world can give? Listen to the words of Jesus and claim = your true identity, which was purchased for you on the cross of Calvary: = "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me: and him that cometh to = me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). And if this next promise = from the Lord doesn't fill your heart with His love and security, I = don't know what else to say: Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I = know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and = they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my = hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is = able to pluck them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:27-29). Fear and anxiety cause much suffering. It is understandable why people = outside of Christ, walking in darkness, suffer this way; but Christians = who are safe and secure in the family of God have no reason to be in = such a condition. The Lord said, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be = not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help = thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" = (Isa.41:10). Let me tell another story about a big strong man and a frightened little = girl. This man was a friend of mine who has gone home to be with the = Lord. I remember him telling me how one night, while he was carrying his = little daughter up the stairway, she began to tremble and cry. He had on = a short sleeve shirt, and her little fingernails dug into his arms so = hard that he shouted, "Honey, what's the matter?" The little child, = while looking down the steep stairway, cried out: "Daddy, Daddy, I'm = going to fall!" "Darling," he said, "don't worry, I would never drop = you!" Regardless of how hard the little girl tried to hang on, she did = not have the strength to keep herself from falling if her father let his = arms down; but when she realized the strength of her father's arms and = became aware of his love, she relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the trip = up the stairway. What about you? Are you enjoying life? Are you aware of your Heavenly = Father's love? Are you trying to walk the "performance tightrope," or = are you counting on the strong arms of your loving God to keep you from = falling? Can you hear this with your heart? "The eternal God is thy = refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut.33:27). You are = not strong enough to hold yourself up, but Jesus is. He ". . . is able = to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless . . ." before God = (Jude 24). Regardless of our age, rather we're young or well along in years, the = way this world is going, there may not be that much time left on our = journey here on earth. So rather than wasting any precious time trying = to build into our lives a worldly security system, which only cultivates = insecurity, let's make the most of the time we have left by simply = resting in the security of the strong arms of our Heavenly Father. = Let's really enjoy the rest of our journey by not allowing fear and = worry to distract us from His magnificent love. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C43110.391F3200 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
SECURITY
 
By Pastor Dick
 
Security in this insane world is a rare commodity. Satan is pouring = out his=20 evil like a flood tide, and fear is spreading across the land like a = wildfire.=20 People are frightened and are running for shelter. Some are running to = alcohol=20 and drugs or other destructive things as they try to avoid facing the = reality of=20 these days of evil. Many are trying to escape by entering into the false = security of organized religion, but there is no real refuge except into = the arms=20 of God.
 
Oh, perhaps a little feeling of security could be the result of = having a=20 steady job, money in the bank, or a good health insurance policy; but = all that=20 can disappear overnight. People used to feel a degree of safety living = here in=20 America, but that protection is crumbling by the minute.
 
Once a man visited us with his four-year-old daughter. It was an = enjoyable=20 visit; that is, until it became time for them to go home. The child did = not want=20 to leave and began to demonstrate how stubborn she could be. Different = ways were=20 tried, without success, to persuade her. Then the father used that big = lie,=20 which upsets me so much when I hear it. As he walked to the door, he = said, "Bye,=20 I'm going to leave you." It worked! Suddenly, the little girl got over = her=20 stubbornness and ran, frightened and crying, to her father. Big deal. He = got his=20 child to obey him, but did he have to do it in such a mean way and at = such a=20 high cost? He loves that little girl and would rather die than see her = harmed;=20 yet he may have placed a scar on her heart, because small children = believe=20 everything they hear from their parents. This dad did not realize at the = time=20 that he was giving his little daughter a big dose of insecurity.
 
An even bigger lie=97an effective, satanic control device that = devastates the=20 flock of God=97is used by many pastors to control the children of = God. It=20 causes extreme insecurity in Christians who believe it and brings severe = discipline to those who use it. If you have been born again into the = family of=20 God by receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior, don't ever believe the = big lie=20 that you can lose your salvation!! No human father, in his right mind, = would=20 ever cast his child out of his family. Isn't God more compassionate than = a human=20 being? The Bible says, "But as many as received him (Jesus), = to them=20 gave he power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12-13). Do you = think that=20 after you receive Jesus into your heart and are born again and sealed by = the=20 Spirit of God that you ever have to worry about being disowned by God or = becoming a "Heavenly Fatherless" child?
 
Remember, God does not have to lie to whip His children into = obedience. In=20 fact, it is impossible for God to lie (Heb.6:18). Do you want more = security than=20 all the money in the world can buy, more than all the armies in the = world can=20 give? Listen to the words of Jesus and claim your true identity, which = was=20 purchased for you on the cross of Calvary: "All that the Father = giveth me=20 shall come to me: and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast = out"=20 (John 6:37). And if this next promise from the Lord doesn't fill your = heart with=20 His love and security, I don't know what else to say: Jesus said, "My = sheep=20 hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them = eternal=20 life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out = of my=20 hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is = able to=20 pluck them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:27-29).
 
Fear and anxiety cause much suffering. It is understandable why = people=20 outside of Christ, walking in darkness, suffer this way; but Christians = who are=20 safe and secure in the family of God have no reason to be in such a = condition.=20 The Lord said, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; = for I am=20 thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will = uphold thee=20 with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isa.41:10).
 
Let me tell another story about a big strong man and a frightened = little=20 girl. This man was a friend of mine who has gone home to be with the = Lord. I=20 remember him telling me how one night, while he was carrying his little = daughter=20 up the stairway, she began to tremble and cry. He had on a short = sleeve=20 shirt, and her little fingernails dug into his arms so hard that he = shouted,=20 "Honey, what's the matter?" The little child, while looking down the = steep=20 stairway, cried out: "Daddy, Daddy, I'm going to fall!" "Darling," he = said,=20 "don't worry, I would never drop you!" Regardless of how hard the little = girl=20 tried to hang on, she did not have the strength to keep herself from = falling if=20 her father let his arms down; but when she realized the strength of her = father's=20 arms and became aware of his love, she relaxed and enjoyed the rest of = the trip=20 up the stairway.
 
What about you? Are you enjoying life? Are you aware of your = Heavenly=20 Father's love? Are you trying to walk the "performance tightrope," or = are you=20 counting on the strong arms of your loving God to keep you from falling? = Can you=20 hear this with your heart? "The eternal God is thy refuge, and = underneath are=20 the everlasting arms" (Deut.33:27). You are not strong enough to = hold=20 yourself up, but Jesus is. He ". . . is able to keep you from = falling, and to=20 present you faultless . . ." before God (Jude 24).
 
Regardless of our age, rather we're young or well along = in years,=20 the way this world is going, there may not be that much time left = on our=20 journey here on earth. So rather than wasting any precious time = trying to=20 build into our lives a worldly security system, which only cultivates=20 insecurity, let's make the most of the time we have left by simply = resting=20 in the security of the strong arms of our Heavenly Father.  = Let's=20 really enjoy the rest of our journey by not allowing  fear and = worry=20 to distract us from His magnificent love.
 
 
 
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