80 Sermon Illustrations on Security

Where were you in 1973? I was a junior in high school in Heidelberg, Germany. 500 feet away was the U.S. Army headquarters where our dads worked. It was surrounded by a wall and the military police always checked our identification cards when we went in. A lot of my classmates would go over there for lunch. That particular afternoon as people were leaving the cafeteria, a powerful explosion devastated the area. The car bomb killed two people immediately and injured several others.

All of us had read about the notorious Beider-Meinhof terrorist gang, but it never seemed real until that day. From that point on, the checkpoint police carried guns at their sides and searched every car. Normal security was no longer good enough.

Christian owner of Spy Shops in Miami shows contrast in different views of security.

John Demeter runs "Spy Shops International" in Miami. His store sells sniper scopes, telephone scramblers, and a low-slung automobile he calls the "Supermobile." The car has a jet propulsion boost, a night-vision system, and a gadget that drops tacks on the road. When the store is busy, customers take a number attached to a hand-grenade pin.

John says he has two religions. The first is personal defense. The other is Christianity. He was born-again in 1987. Anytime he sells weapons or surveillance gear he also throws in a tract called "Eternal Security." He describes God as the ultimate bulletproof vest. He preaches to his customers and prays for them, even the ones he knows are drug runners.

#635

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Children's sermon with stuffed lion and lamb as props. Animals don't naturally get along (neither do people) but in future God will make them feel safe, and human children as well.

Sermon in parables series. Rich Fool

Luke 12:15-21

"RICH AND DUMB"

I. Hearing what we want to hear.

II. Few problems arouse as much intensity as money problems.

A. It appears that this man had been cheated out of his share,

B. Jesus flatly answers him, "Man, who make me a judge or divider

C. The core of the man's problem is that he thought his inner needs

III. A parable that cuts to the heart of the matter.

A. A successful farmer ran out of storage space for his crops.

B. Where did the dumb rich guy go wrong?

IV. He went wrong in the things he remembered.

A. He remembered himself.

B. He remembered the world.

V. He went wrong in the things he forgot.

A. He forgot his neighbors.

B. He forgot time.

C. He forgot God.

VI. Our attitude toward this life shows our commitment to God.

A. Do possessions have a stranglehold on you?

B. Are you ready for judgment now?

#2171

[Modified from 12/18/83 West Lafayette, OH, sermon]

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Sermon following series of terrorist attacks. Psalm 112:1-10

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Are We Secure?

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I. Torn between security and freedom.

A. Can we ever be truly safe?

B. World's way to security.

II. We live in a dangerous world.

A. Horrible people are all around us.

B. Horrible things can happen.

C. Fear is a rational attitude.

III. God's way to security.

A. Acknowledge that He is in charge. 1 Jn 4:4

B. Can we trust in Him when we can't even see Him?

C. We can know for sure. John 10:28

IV. Fear not.

A. Some Christians don't feel secure.

B. Don't let your fears limit your witness.

V. Put your confidence in God, no matter what.

#3833

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This year Kathy and I will celebrate eleven years of marriage. Having been both married and single, I would choose to be married any day! One of the most miserable periods in my life was when I was single! I never knew where I stood with a girl! I was always in doubt. Things could be fine one day, Jiltsville the next! Had to be concerned about matching clothes, ironed shirts, zits, and bathing regularly. One little mistake and it could be all over. Not now. Secure. I always know where I stand with Kathy.

Right at the end of World War 2, the Allies opened some camps for orphans. They worked hard to feed them and restore them. But in one particular camp, they experienced a problem. The children would not sleep. They'd put them to bed and tum out the lights, but the kids would not sleep even though they were physically exhausted. They couldn't. So the camp directors brought in some psychologists who recommended that every night before they tucked the children in, they put a piece of bread in the children's hands. Once they did that, immediately the kids began sleeping. Even though they had been well fed at these camps, their experience had taught them there might be no food tomorrow. But with that piece of bread in their hands, they could go to sleep assured that when they woke up there'd be something to eat.

It was the biggest-ever ship to sail under its own power. It was trumpeted as the greatest achievement of modern engineering technology to date. At noon on April 10, 1912, the Titanic left Southampton dock for New York City. At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, the ship slid below the surface of the Atlantic. Out of its total 2,207 passengers, more than 1,500 died in the greatest maritime disaster in history.

When the first frightening reports of the ship's sinking reached New York around six hours later, Philip A.S. Franklin, Vice-President of the White Star Line, said, "We place absolute confidence in the Titanic. We believe that the boat is unsinkable." At a United States Senate investigation, Franklin later said, "During the entire day we considered the ship unsinkable, and it never entered our minds that there had been anything like a serious loss of life."

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Quotes from Walter Lord, THE NIGHT LIVES ON (New York: Avon Books, 1987), p. 19

Kevin Bales has researched modern slavery. In Uttar Pradesh in India he came across many examples. He writes the following:

When I met Baldev in 1997, he was plowing. His master called him "my halvaha," meaning "my bonded plowman." Two years later I met Baldev again and learned that because of a windfall from a relative, he had freed himself from debt. But he had not freed himself from bondage. He told me:

“After my wife received this money, we paid off our debt and were free to do whatever we wanted. But I was worried all the time — what if one of the children got sick? What if our crop failed? What if the government wanted some money? Since we no longer belonged to the landlord, we didn’t get food every day as before. Finally, I went to the landlord and asked him to take me back. I didn’t have to borrow any money, but he agreed to let me be his halvaha again. Now I don’t worry so much; I know what to do.”.

Lacking any preparation for freedom, Baldev reenrolled in slavery. Without financial or emotional support, his accidental emancipation didn't last. Although he may not bequeath any debt to his children, his family is visibly worse off than unbonded villagers in the same region.

It all happened so fast. One day, people's retirement funds and even life savings were seemingly doing fine, even appreciating - and then, in one shocking announcement, they were gone. Enron, the energy giant, the seventh largest corporation in America - the trusted guardian of the futures of millions - was suddenly declaring bankruptcy.

It seemed as if almost no one had foreseen Enron's impending collapse. People continued to invest in the company right up to the announcement of their meltdown. One news report indicated that virtually all investment analysts were recommending investing in Enron almost to the end.

Who could have guessed that this apparently rock-solid investment could turn out to be worth nothing in the end? So many have been hurt ... so much has been lost. The ancient words of King Solomon sound as if they were written in the last few days: "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." (Proverbs 23:5)

The stunning collapse of financial security tied to Enron is a macro-instance of what has been happening to people for a long, long time. A previous generation saw their security erased in a day with the stock market crash that launched the Great Depression. Who would have thought that all those banks could fail so suddenly? And for many, the sudden calamity comes quietly and personally - with a layoff ... the loss of customers on whom the business depended ... a crushing report from the doctor. And with the awful events of September 11, all of us were wrenchingly reminded how quickly it can all be gone.

It almost makes a person ask, "Are the words 'financial security' an oxymoron? Is there really any such thing?" But then, is there really any earth-security that cannot, sometimes overnight, "sprout wings and fly off"? Even people who are our security can be suddenly gone.

Economic upheaval ... betrayal ... abandonment ... sudden change ... a health crisis ... a breakup ... a funeral - they remind us how vulnerable, how "losable" our life-anchors really are. How vulnerable we are. And for many of us, that's when we start reaching for something we cannot lose. Which earth doesn't have. We need hands to hold our future that won't drop us, go bankrupt on us, leave us, die on us. We'll never be secure until we find those hands that will never let us go, never let us down.

Hands like those are within your reach ... you'll recognize them by the nailprints in them. It's Jesus - and Jesus alone - who can keep a promise like this - "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) In a world where so many have let us down, how do you know you can trust Jesus? Those nailprints - they show how much He loves you ... and how much you can trust Him.

In the words of the Bible, "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Most people know Christ died - and how He died, nailed hands and feet to a cross. But the discovery that can literally change the rest of your life is why He died. He died for us. He died for you.

It turns out that His death is our only hope for ever having a personal relationship with our Creator, for ever having the ultimate security - knowing you're going to heaven when you die. Without a relationship with God in our unpredictable, sometimes unbearable, lives, we are like ships adrift without an anchor ... and with no safe harbor from the hurricanes. And according to the Bible, we all are away from this God we were made by and made for. We've essentially lived our lives saying, "God, You run the universe. I'll run me, thank You." We have done it our way, not His way. That's what makes us, again in God's words, "sinners."

But "Christ died for us" - "while we were still sinners." Because the only way to remove the sin-wall between us and God was for our death penalty to be paid, the spiritual death penalty that we have earned by running lives God was supposed to run. But Jesus literally opened up the road to God by removing our sins' death penalty the only way it could be removed - He died for us ... in our place. In your place.

And today - in a world whose headlines scream with reminders of vulnerable we are - Jesus is extending His hand toward you. He's ready to introduce you to His "never leave you, never forsake you" love. To secure your future forever. And to care for you every day between here and eternity.

We spend so much time, so much effort, trying to secure our next thirty or forty years. But that is a blink of the eye compared to securing your eternity. To neglect your forever is life's most costly mistake. To grab the waiting hand of Jesus is to find what you can never lose. You can belong to Him this very day - just tell Him, "Jesus, I've run my own life long enough - I'm Yours beginning right now. You died for me - I'm putting all my trust in You."

In a very uncertain world, you can know your life and your future are in hands that will never hurt you, never drop you, never let you go. "We who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." (Hebrews 6:18, 19) That anchor is within your reach, this very moment.

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. 'Practical Answers to Real Life Issues'

[original illustration at this location was a duplicate of HolwickID #1613]

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A little girl had just finished witnessing to a small group of

friends. Joyfully she told of God's saving grace and how His love had

touched her heart. With assurance, she appropriately concluded her

testimony by quoting these comforting words of Jesus recorded in

John's gospel: "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall

never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My

Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all, and no man is able

to pluck them out of my Father's hand" (\reference{John 10:28}{John

10:28}.29). Just then a joshing, doubting friend piped up with the

question, "But Maggie, suppose you slip through His fingers?" Quick

as a flash, she replied, "Never, never! You see, I'm one of the

fingers!" Maggie may not have been well versed in the language of

theology, but a biblical principal had been lodged in her heart;

namely, that "we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His

bones" (\reference{Eph. 5:30}{Ephesians 5:30}). She knew that she had

been joined inseparably to Jesus and that she belonged to Him.

On a late summer day in 1658, the Quaker, George Fox, met Oliver

Cromwell riding through Hampton Park. And before I came to him, as he

rode at the head of his lifeguards, Fox saw and felt a waft of death

go forth against Cromwell. A few days later the great protector lay

dying at Whitehall Palace. His interest in the world receded and his

soul fell back on itself as it advanced toward the mysteries of

eternity. Nothing now to him, was the fact that his voice had been the

mightiest in Europe, making kings to tremble; nothing now to him, was

the memory of his protectorate or the glory of his military conquests

at Dunbar and Marston Moor.

The only thing which engaged his mind was the welfare of his

immortal soul. On the second of September, he said to his chaplain,

"Is it possible to fall from grace?" "It is not possible," replied the

chaplain. Then," said Cromwell, "I am safe, for I know that I was once

in grace." --McCartney

The Bible says that "great men are not always wise." It would

appear from the above that Cromwell, at his death, was not wise in at

least two ways: (a) in believing the false doctrine of "once in grace,

always in grace;" and (b) in trusting the witness of man instead of

the witness of God's Spirit as to the condition of his eternity bound

soul! --Duane V. Maxey

Fear is common among people of every age; many experience some degree of ongoing anxiety. They are locked in lonely prisons of anxiety and fear. The Sept. 11 attacks, random killings, wars, rumors of wars, and Homeland Security alerts have spawned new fears.

Christians often make decisions about financial issues motivated by fear of the future, rather than by trust in God and His provision. This fear of the future may cause Christian families to scrimp and sacrifice for retirement or “just in case” the financial world crashes. Too often, little or no thought is given to the promises of God. After all, He assures us He will provide for and take care of us if we will place our total faith in Him.

This is not to say that we shouldn't plan ahead, make retirement provisions or maintain an emergency reserve account; those things are all necessary to ensure financial stability for our families. But if a Christian takes an honest look inside and finds that primary attitudes of fear and worry are motivating his or her financial decisions, a reevaluation of financial priorities is needed along with a renewed commitment to trust in the Lord.

Christian families who are motivated by fear of the financial future often cut back on their tithes and offerings as a first step in an attempt at financial stability. Such action was masterfully acknowledged by William Shakespeare in Act 1 of “Titus Andronicus,” “Because he hast spite for the visage of his own face, he hath cut off his own nose.”

To ensure that we will not become victimized by a financial downturn, we must honor God's mandate for us to tithe the first fruits of our income and keep our offering vows to God. This includes our tithes and any other financial commitment we have made to God, such as missions support, benevolence and so forth.

However, if such a commitment was made in the form of a faith promise, then that giving is subject to God's provision. A faith promise is based on God providing what we want to give in the future. Christians should not feel obligated to give above the tithe until God provides the funds. Nevertheless, if the commitment was not a faith promise, but rather a vow to give, then those vows must be honored.

Withholding financial commitments made to the Lord for the sake of buffering ourselves against potential future financial hardships may end up costing us our financial security, rather than guarding it, simply because God's blessings will not be on the self-imposed buffer.

The opposite of fear is faith. In the New Testament Book of Hebrews, faith is described as things that we hope for and things that we do not presently have (Hebrews 11:1). It is God's plan that we have some needs in order that we can develop our faith in Him. It is vital for us to view these potential future financial needs as opportunities to exercise and develop our faith.

No Christian can truly serve God and live in fear of financial loss. In Matthew 6:24, Christ very specifically said we must make the choice to serve God or money; we cannot serve both. If we fear the financial future, we aren't trusting in God or in His promise to provide for us. Instead, we choose to serve the fear of financial loss, rather than serving the God who has conquered all fear and holds the future in His hands.

The culture in which we live bases priorities on desires and wants, rather than on needs. As a result, our perspective of what is actually a need is easily clouded by what our materialist society defines as needs.

The outcome is that we get caught up in the mad rush to protect against any future crisis that can potentially threaten these society-defined needs. Although God promised He will always supply our needs, He has not promised to supply all of the wants that our society has redefined as needs.

Therefore, even though we sincerely ask God to honor our request, perhaps to supply the money to repair our second car or automatic dishwasher, His answer may be “No,” so that we can mature spiritually and learn how to rely on Him totally.

God may not choose to answer the way you want or expect Him to respond. You may be asking with the wrong motive (James 4:3), or perhaps the time isn't right according to God's purpose. Your request may be contrary to His overall plan (Acts 21:13-14), or maybe God simply wants you to learn to serve Him rather than expecting Him to serve you (Job 41:11).

There are four steps to follow that can help you learn that you can -– and should -– trust God completely, not only in the present, but also the future.

First, find God's direction for your life. Many frustrations you experience are the result of patterning your life after someone else, rather than finding, through prayer and study of God's Word, God's direction for you.

Next, make a conscious effort to trust God. Put thoughts, words and commitments into action, and don't buy on credit, or hoard; wait for God to supply, and plan ahead.

Then develop a long-range viewpoint. Trust God's directives and guidance, even when you cannot see the end result or are unable to understand why He may be doing it that way (Matthew 6:34).

Finally, pray -– always! Diligent prayer is the key that unlocks God's blessings, power and direction (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18).

Even though you may be bombarded daily with doubts concerning your financial future, our nation's economy and the economies of the world, never doubt that God is in total and complete control. Do not panic and don't be governed by fear of the future. Keep your commitments to God, pray without ceasing and always trust Him without reservation.

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Howard Dayton is CEO of Crown Financial Ministries.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #13856]

A little boy in school wrote about a turtle. It was a thrilling

tale of how the little turtle was chased by a big bad bear who got so

close that the turtle could feel the bear's hot breath. "The turtle,"

wrote the boy, "came to a walnut tree, climbed it, and got away from

the bear." The teacher said to the boy when he read this, "Turtles

can't climb trees." "Well," replied the puzzled lad, "this one had

too."

- Burgess W. McCeary, {When Youth Prays} (Anderson, IN: Warner

Press, 1960) 89

Years ago I heard a friend tell about a scene from his childhood that he never forgot. My friend was around on that black day in 1929 that marked the beginning of the Great Depression. One of the great traumas of America's financial collapse was that many banks went under almost overnight. My friend remembered seeing a neighbor at the locked gates of his bank - and he was literally pounding his fists bloody on those gates, screaming at the top of his lungs, “Give me my money! Give me my money!” There was no money to give.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “The Most Dangerous Place in The World.”

That desperate man, and millions like him, placed their security in an institution. An institution that seemed safe but that ultimately failed them. A lot of church folks are making that mistake today - placing their eternal security in their church; in believing its beliefs, attending its meetings, even taking church leadership. Sadly, none of that is enough to get your sins forgiven or get you into God's heaven.

Sometimes religious folks argue over which church is the right church. Well, in Jeremiah's time there was no argument. God's people were the Jews and their temple was God's self-declared house on earth. But even that wasn't enough. In Jeremiah 7, beginning with verse 9, God says, “You come and stand before Me in this house, which bears my Name, and you say 'We are safe' ... 'But I have been watching,' declares the Lord.” And God goes on to point out the sin in their lives - sin that no amount of “church” can make right. He goes on to describe His pending destruction of what God calls “the temple you trust in.”

Boy, that's the danger of being religious. You tend to trust in your religiousness instead of in Christ. Christianity will never get anyone to heaven. Only Christ can get you there. Only Christ died to pay for the sin that disqualifies every one of us from heaven. Jesus established the Church to represent Him on earth, to do His work on earth. But church can be the most dangerous place in the world if that's where your trust is. Christianity is all about Jesus, but it can cause you to miss Jesus. It's called false security; feeling like you're okay with God because you speak the language, agree with the teachings, and you've been around it all these years. Why, no one would even question that you have a relationship with Jesus - except Jesus. And He's the only One who matters.

Could it be that somehow you've missed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, even while you've been a good church person for a long time? Jesus described some active church folks to whom He will say on Judgment Day, “I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:21-23) Somehow, they have never actually given themselves in total faith to the One who died to pay for their sins. There has to be that time when you say, “Jesus, some of those sins You died for were mine, and I have no hope of heaven except You and what You did on the cross for me. So beginning right now, I am Yours.”

If you have missed that critical step, don't go another day without moving Christ from your head to your heart ... from being a belief to being your own personal Savior.

The church you've trusted in, the religion you've trusted in, the goodness you've trusted in are inadequate substitutes for the real thing - putting your total trust in Jesus. Because it's all about Jesus!

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #12985]

Regardless of your position on the war in Iraq, there is no question it will have a worldwide impact and will leave many in your community fearful of the future. They will be hungry to hear God's truth, and I encourage you to offer a special service of worship and prayer related to the war during this weekend.

I suspect that many people -- even Christians -- are fearful at this time, so I've outlined below God's antidote to fears of the future, based on Psalm 23:6.

What is God's anecdote for not fearing the future? In Psalm 23:6, where David wrote, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever,” God reminds of three things:

1) HE IS WATCHING OVER US. “Surely goodness will follow....” David is not saying, “Surely only good things are going to happen to me! Bad things happen to good people.” Rather David is saying only goodness will follow. Good things will always come out of whatever happens -- even the bad, the evil and the difficult.

It's a great promise that God has given to believers: We know that all that happens to us is working for our good -- if we love God and are fitting into his plans (Romans 8:28). If you're a believer, the Bible says all things are working together for good -- not that all things are good -- but working together for good. There is no difficulty, dilemma, defeat, disaster in the life of a Christian that God can't ultimately get some good out of.

2) GRACE IS WORKING IN US. When you understand God's grace and mercy, then you have no need to fear the future. God isn't trying to get even with you. Jesus has taken the penalty for everything you've ever done wrong or will do wrong. He paid for it on the cross. That's grace and mercy.

Mercy, like goodness, follows us in life. Picture a parent following a little child around picking up after them. God is constantly picking up our messes. Christians go to the future -- not with a question mark -- but with an exclamation point. God will be with you no matter what happens. He will help you out.

God's goodness will provide and protect. God's mercy will pardon and forgive.

God's goodness will supply. God's mercy will sooth.

God's goodness will help. God's mercy will heal.

Goodness is the fact that God gives us good things in life that we don't deserve. Mercy means God holds back the condemnation we deserve.

3) HEAVEN IS WAITING FOR US. “... and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” That's one of the most important connections we see in the Bible. It connects yesterday and today with tomorrow. God says, “I've got this great life planned for you and surely goodness and mercy will follow you through it, BUT that's not the end! I've got something else at the end!” He builds it to a crescendo.

David ends this verse by saying, “We're going to heaven!” Jesus saves the best until last. With God it just keeps getting better and better. The best is yet to come.

“We know that our body will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a house for us. It will not be a house made by human hands; instead, it will be a home in heaven that will last forever” (2 Corinthians 5:1).

How long is forever going to last? Forever! Someday your body is going to die, but you aren't! You're going to live forever in one of two places -- heaven or hell. They're both real places. You will spend eternity in heaven or hell. Your body is going to end but that's not going to be the end of you. We were made to last forever.

Why are Christians the most confident people about the future?

“We look forward with confidence to our heavenly bodies. And we are not afraid, but are quite content to die, for then we will be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6,8).

Death, for Christians, is a transfer, a promotion. It's on to better things. No more problems. You're not ready to live until you're ready to die. You don't know how to live until you're ready to die. Only a fool would go all through life, totally unprepared for something that everybody knows is inevitable. You're going to die -- someday. If you have accepted Christ, then you're going to go to heaven.

You'll be released from pain, from sorrow, from suffering, from depression, from fear. “He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of that has gone forever” (Revelation 21:4).

Doesn't that make you a little homesick for heaven? If you were to die tonight, are you sure you'd go to heaven? I don't have an ounce of doubt in my mind that I would. Not that I deserve it but because I've done what the Bible says to do to get ready.

How do I know I'm going to heaven? Jesus says, “My sheep listen to me and they follow me” (John 10).

Are you doing that? Are you listening to what God says to do with your life? Are you following Jesus Christ? Is he your shepherd and your Savior?

If you say, “Yes, I'm listening to God, and I'm trying to let him lead my life -- letting Jesus Christ be my Savior. Yes, I know I'll never get to heaven on my own, and I'm trusting Jesus,” then you can say with absolute confidence, “Surely, I know I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

You can say, “I will dwell -- not 'I might' or 'I wonder.’ Rather, 'I know I'm going to heaven because I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.'“

When you face the future, what do you see? Do you look at it with eyes of doubt? With eyes of cynicism? With eyes of expecting the worst?

You have two choices in life: You can either face the future as a cynic, a doubter, with negative thoughts, expecting the worse.

Or you can face the future expecting God to be with you and his goodness and his mercy to follow you all the days of your life.

It is amazing how much better life gets when you start to actively look for God's goodness and God's mercy in every experience. It'll change your life.

The good shepherd provides protection, provision, peace, providence, companionship (his presence) and paradise. Jesus is all you need.

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[Original illustration at this number was added to HolwickID #2599]

Apparently, they were talking about America's reservoirs in terrorist centers in Afghanistan. As al-Qaeda documents were uncovered by American troops there, it became clear that folks who want to attack American interests have been at least considering some of our major water systems. So, security has really been beefed up at those kinds of facilities. And that's a good thing.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Reservoir Security."

Now, the thought of something toxic getting into our water supply is a scary prospect - we should do everything in our power to defend against that. If the source gets contaminated, the results can be deadly.

It's that principle that God is appealing to in Proverbs 4:23, our word for today from the Word of God. God's command goes like this: "Guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life." So, your heart is the reservoir, the spring which feeds everything else in your life - what you value, what you spend your time on, what you spend your money on, what you love, what you hate. If it gets poisoned, it's going to affect - and infect - everything.

Oh, and the terrorist of the universe knows that. A terrorist knows that the way to bring down a city is to poison its water source. Satan knows the way to bring down someone who belongs to Jesus is to put poison in your heart. But he can only do that if you drop your guard. That's why God says, "Guard your heart!" Increase the security around the reservoir. Be very, very careful what - and who - you let into your heart.

There are things you just cannot let get into your spiritual reservoir. You need to guard your affections - don't let yourself get close to someone who can steal some of your love for Jesus and diminish your love for Him. And guard your motives - don't let pride or jealousy or self-interest poison what you're doing for your Lord.

You've got to watch what you watch and what you listen to - even if it's just entertainment - those images, those messages get dropped into the reservoir in your heart. You just can't afford to let in things that can make you casual about what's wrong, about the very things that Jesus died for, that break His heart. So, guard your heart. And don't let yourself spend too much time on things that crowd Jesus right out of the center of your life - no matter how innocent those things seem to be.

Anything or anyone that is stealing some of your love for Jesus ... that is slowly diverting your focus on Him ... that is pulling you, however gradually, toward the darkness - those are things you just cannot let into the reservoir in your heart. Satan will use any weakness, any need, any attraction, any distraction to plant something toxic in the wellspring of your life. And I tell you, he can bring down the best of us with a little poison in the heart because that's what everything else is affected by.

God has told us how to stop the terrorism of poison that can do more damage than we ever dreamed. Three little words that can save you so much heartache - "Guard your heart!"

________________

Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. 'Practical Answers to Real Life Issues'

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Uncontrolled crime (eight times the murder rate of New York City) and a huge wealth disparity (most people either fabulously rich or appallingly poor, with few in the middle) have caused the 1 million wealthiest residents of Sao Paulo, Brazil, to protect themselves by living in 300 gated communities (and have caused some to avoid the city's crime and squalor by traveling exclusively by helicopter), according to a June Washington Post dispatch. About 4,000 people a year without helicopter access armor-plate their cars at twice the price of the car. One walled community (Alphaville) houses 30,000 people, protected by 1,100 armed guards who keep the grounds under constant surveillance and pat down the servants as they head home from work.

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The more you seek security, the less of it you have. But the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is that you will achieve the security that you desire. - Brian Tracy

We have come to the final factor necessary for bringing meaning to life: security. This seems to be most sought in the waning years. Beginning with wonder in childhood, through the pursuit of truth in adolescence and the fulfillment of love in the adult years, as we age we feel acutely that longing for security. Wonder may fade with the breakdown of the body. Truth brings the reality of an end to earthly existence. Love will soon be a thing of the past if death is the end of all consciousness. Where, then, does one find the security that can regain the wonder, know the truth, and enjoy the love?

The longing for life beyond the grave does not of itself establish that there is life beyond the grave, but this hunger does speak of our need to know the truth about death.

I had the privilege of speaking in Vietnam during the military conflict. It was an experience that changed my life; the conversations with military personnel are etched in my memory. One of those memories is a poem given to me, written by an American soldier. He told of a life-defining night when he was caught in the crossfire of battle while a war within his own mind raged. He heard within his mind the voices of friends from his youth who had convinced him of a universe devoid of God. But now as he gazed at the starlit sky, he wondered whether his friends had ever taken the time to marvel at its sight. In the eerie silence of the night, he surrendered his doubt to God, and penned these words: "Funny I had to come to this hellish place before I had time to see your face ... Strange, now since I met you, I’m not afraid to die."

One may dismiss this "foxhole conversion," for in the face of death one desperately hopes there is something beyond the grave. But the spectre of death is real and we cannot dismiss its inescapable question: Is there a God beyond the grave and the security of heaven for those who know Him?

Consider again Soren Kierkegaard’s conclusion in his search for meaning: Only by learning to define life backwards was he able to live it forwards. The final state of life directed the present path chosen.

Four essential components to meaning: wonder, truth, love, and security. All four are found in the person of Jesus Christ, who alone brings meaning at every age of life, even bringing security beyond the grave.

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Copyright © 2002 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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After watching the World Trade Center as part of my skyline for many years, it hit pretty hard that awful September 11th to see those towers come crashing down - and thousands of lives with them. The day after the first attack on the Trade Center in 1993, I was greeted by a TV crew as I got off a flight from Newark. They asked me as a New Yorker how I felt after that bombing. "Vulnerable" - that was my answer. Well, since the events of September 11, and the days since then, I think a lot of us are feeling that way. We watched everyday people like us, doing things we do - passengers on a jetliner, folks at their jobs - suddenly wiped out en masse. We're uncertain about what a new kind of war might mean, what's going to happen economically. And some of us are trying to help our children understand what we're not sure we understand. We feel vulnerable. It's as if some of our own sense of personal security and safety came crashing down with those majestic towers.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "When Our Towers Came Crashing Down."

Even without the disturbing events in the news, we all know the feeling of having things we had counted on suddenly gone - a person we love, our job, the collapse of a marriage, a bad report from the doctor. In times like these, we're hungry for something we can anchor to - for something to sustain us when the bad news is more than we can bear - for something that will make us feel really safe.

When our President addressed the nation on this generation's "day of infamy," he alluded to the one source of comfort and hope in moments like these. He quoted from that treasured 23rd Psalm in the Bible - actually, Psalm 23:4, our word for today from the Word of God. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me."

The Bible holds out to you and me a security that can keep you safe in life's deepest valleys - even the valley of the shadow of death. That security is a relationship, a person - "You are with me, Lord." All our lives we've been looking for one "unloseable" love. And there really is one. It's the love of the One who made you - the One you will meet on the other side of your last heartbeat - the One whose love caused Him to literally lay down His life for you.

In your vulnerable moments, your moments that are more than you can handle alone - those moments when you've gone seeking God - maybe you've realized that there's something that is separating you from Him. The Bible confirms there is - "your sins," God says, "have separated you from your God." (Isaiah 59:2) But Jesus came to remove that wall between you and God - the only way it could be removed - by Jesus dying to pay the death penalty for you and me hijacking a life that God was supposed to run.

Either you have this life-saving relationship with Jesus or you don't. It all depends on whether there's ever been a time when you grabbed the outstretched hand of Jesus like a person trapped in the wreckage would grab the hand of his rescuer. If you are ready for the kind of security that only Jesus Christ can offer, if you're ready to begin this anchor relationship with the man who died for you, tell Him that, right where you are.

My prayer is that you'll be able to go to sleep tonight knowing you are in the safest place in the universe - the arms of Jesus Christ - and that you'll be able to say, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil - for You are with me."

[see also #19784 and #22737]

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. 'Practical Answers to Real Life Issues'

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"Office of Homeland Security" - the fact that America needs one

pretty much tells the story of the kind of world we're in now. There are

gloves in many company mail rooms ... troops and added security checks in our airports ... tours are curtailed at many public utilities ... our bags are searched at sporting events ... and business is booming at security companies.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Security Precautions."

Security is on a lot of our minds these days. At least, security for here and now. Unfortunately, we tend to neglect the largest security concerns of all - our security beyond this life, beyond our last heartbeat. It's eternally important to know that you're safe then. Whether it's the awful toll of the September 11, attacks or the death of someone in our personal world, there are constant reminders that eternity can come so quickly.

I once heard about a medieval king who was on his deathbed. He called for the jester, they called him the court fool back then, to come and make him feel better. At one point, the king said, "Fool, I am going on a long journey from which I will not return." The court fool asked if the king had made preparations for his journey, to which the king answered 'no.' The jester answered, "Then, sire, I fear that you are a greater fool than I."

That sounds like a conversation God had with a very rich man in our word for today from the Word of God in Luke 12, beginning in verse 19. The man is totally involved in managing his success, protecting his financial security. He says, "I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then you will get what you have prepared for yourself'." Tragically, this man who had made such elaborate preparations for his earth-security had made no preparations for eternity.

That man made the mistake of thinking he had many years - a mistake many have made. Frankly, we never know how much longer we have. And you're not secure until you know that you're ready for eternity ... which you can be today. I John 5, beginning in verse 11, tells us that "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life." Now that is security! Knowing for sure, knowing right now that you're going to heaven when you die.

And it all depends on whether you have Jesus. That's because He's the One who died to remove what will keep you out of heaven - your sin. When you commit yourself to Jesus, what's between you and God is gone and you "have eternal life"!

That is a choice you can make this very day, right where you are. If you want to belong to Jesus from this day on, tell Him you're putting your total trust in Him based on His dying for you. And if you'll let me know you want to begin with Jesus, I'd like to send you the booklet I wrote about this called "Yours For Life."

With eternity so close, it just doesn't make sense to wait. Ultimate security is knowing you're going to heaven, no matter what happens here. Jesus made His move to get you to heaven when He died on the cross for you. It's your move now.

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. 'Practical Answers to Real Life Issues'

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“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 NKJV)

What Shall Separate Us From The Love Of God?

• persuaded — 2 Tim 1:12, 2 Cor 5:8, Rom 14:8 — full assurance of faith

• death — at any time, under any form

• life — with all its changes, trials, joys, etc.

• angels — the good are our helpers

• principalities — malicious spirits already conquered — Heb 2:14-15, Matt 25:41, 2 Cor 11:14

• powers — Heb 11:35, Rev 12:11, Eph 6:12, Col 2:15, 1 Pet 3:22 — persecuting rulers (Beza)

• things…come — 2 Tim 4:8, Jam 2:5 — including all that can happen

• height — of honour or office

• depth — of suffering, degradation

• any…creature — that can be named or thought of

• love…God — Jer 31:3, Eph 2:4-7 — manifested to and bestowed upon us

• in…Lord — 1 Jn 4:9, Col 3:3 — and believers in Him

The measure of the love of Christ — Anon.

I. Its depths –

1. It reaches to men in every sphere of life;

2. To man in the lowest abyss of sin.

II. Its height –

1. The height of privilege to which it raises its objects;

2. The height of excellence:

(1) In this life;

(2) In the future.

III. Its breadth –

1. How it reaches to all men and lands;

2. Bigotry would limit it.

IV. Its length –

1. From age to age is the same;

2. To it there is no end. How different this is to human love.

Learn:

1. Willing subjection to the purposes of Christ;

2. Superiority to envy;

3. The cultivation of extensive benevolence;

4. Anticipate the time when this love shall be comprehended

Christian Confidence — Mr Robert Bruce, the morning before he died, being at breakfast, and having, as he used, eaten an egg, said to his daughter, “I think I am yet hungry; you may bring me another egg.” But having mused a while, he said, “Hold, daughter, hold, my Master calls me.” With these words his sight failed him: on which he called for the Bible, and said, “Turn to the eighth chapter of the Romans, and set my finger on the words, ‘I am persuaded that neither death, nor life,’ etc., ‘shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus a my Lord.’” When this was done, he said, “Now, is my finger upon them?” Being told it was, he added, “Now, God be with you, my dear children: I have breakfasted with you, and shall sup with my Lord Jesus Christ this night.” And then he expired.

“Death is the passage to the Father, a chariot to heaven, the Lord’s messenger, a leader unto Christ, a going to our home, a deliverance from bondage and prison, a dismission from war, a security from all sorrows, and manumission from all misery.” — J. Bradford

If they ever ask me to be a participant in those Nielsen ratings of who is watching what TV show, they'll probably find me watching the Weather Channel more than a lot of viewers. Oh, not necessarily because I'm intrigued with low-pressure systems, or barometric readings, or cumulus nimbus clouds, but because I want to see my future in the places I'm going to be traveling to. But sometimes, they don't have the weather on. They have this prime-time documentary show called “Storm Stories.” Now while the story of a storm that happened twenty years ago isn't going to help me plan for tomorrow, the stories are pretty dramatic. They are the often-amazing accounts of the people who survived major weather disasters - and the people who didn't. It's especially interesting to see what steps help you be a storm survivor rather than a storm victim.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Storm-Proof Security.”

I'll bet you've got your own personal “storm stories,” don't you? I know I've got mine. Stories of some life storms that you've been hit with - medical storms, financial storms, family, marital, heavy weather with your kids, maybe your work or your ministry, your relationships. One of the most dramatic storm stories I ever read is actually in our word for today from the Word of God in Acts 27, beginning with verse 20. It's going to help you survive your storm - because it shows the two anchors you can hang onto that no storm can touch.

Paul is a Roman prisoner, being carried to Rome aboard a ship loaded with Caesar's grain, and they get hit with a massive storm that drives them all over the Mediterranean for two perilous weeks. Paul says, “We took such a violent battering ... they began to throw the cargo overboard.” That's pretty desperate. The apostle goes on to explain that “neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging.” Have you ever been in a situation like that where none of your usual points of reference could help you - you're drifting and confused. That's what we're talking about here.

Then, “we finally gave up all hope of being saved.” Notice, “we” gave up all hope. Even the spirit of the great Apostle Paul has succumbed to the storm. But then the next day we find him standing up and saying to everyone aboard, “Keep up your courage because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.” What happened? Well, God reminded Paul of those two anchors that will carry you through. He explains to the people on that storm-threatened ship: “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'“

All right, Anchor #1: Who you belong to. The God “whose I am.” Don't let the storm make you forget that the Lord is your God and that His sovereignty is unshakeable. No life that is in the hands of the Sovereign Lord is out of control no matter how much it feels like the storm is winning. If you're His child, then every storm in your life has either been sent by Him or approved by Him for His glory, for your good, and your growth.

Anchor #2: Who you do it for. The God “whom I serve.” The storm can blow away every reason for finishing the thing that God gave you to do except one. The One who called you to do it. He hasn't moved, no matter how much the ship is getting blown around. God told Paul, “The mission I've given you, you will complete.” He's saying the same thing to you. Hang onto your anchors and no storm, however violent, will sink you!

About the ending of this storm story: the ship that was supposed to be headed from Israel to Italy - the ship that had been seemingly out of control for two weeks - ended up going aground on the island just south of Italy. All the time Paul's ship had appeared to be out of control, it had been right on course, and so is yours. Because of the God “whose you are and whom you serve.”

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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[Original illustration here was a duplicate in HolwickID 25837-26027]

In his classic work “1984,” George Orwell saw a day when government eventually would morph into a ubiquitous, all-seeing, all-controlling Big Brother. While the British author’s prognostication might have been off a few decades, his fictitious view of the future is slowly, but surely, becoming reality.

Conservatives, liberals and libertarians don’t agree on much. However, there is one subject that most of them see eye-to-eye on, and that is our world is becoming more monitored and more regulated with each passing day. And while government isn’t always the culprit, we nonetheless are being watched.

Surveillance cameras abound. Most of our movements can be traced by surveillance cameras strategically positioned in parking lots, stores and ATMs.

If while going through airport security you are randomly selected or happen to have the tiniest bit of metal on you, you are going to be subjected to scrutiny just short of a strip search.

Have you noticed the packaging on most items today? It takes special tools and training to open a new CD or DVD. And make sure all the security tags are removed from clothing or you will have the joy of hearing a store’s anti-theft detection alarm go off.

Don’t expect security measures to decrease anytime soon. In fact, they likely will become more intrusive. With identity theft on the rise, expect finger print, face print, eye scanning and voice recognition technologies to become more a part of our lives.

Not only does the monitoring and regulation add a certain level of discomfort to our lives, but the price of everything is impacted. There is a significant cost for all the surveillance and special packaging we endure, and it is all passed on to the consumer.

I, like many conservatives, liberals and libertarians do not like being watched every time I turn around. However, given the reality of crime in our world and the added threat of terrorism, what are the alternatives? Is there a solution that is better than constant surveillance and regulation?

Interestingly enough, many of the founders of the United States articulated the antidote to Big Brother more than 200 years ago.

“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom,” observed Benjamin Franklin. “As nations become more corrupt and vicious they have more need of masters.”

“Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other,” said John Adams, the country’s second president.

“Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them or a power without them; either by the Word of God or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or by the bayonet,” stated Robert Winthrop, who served as speaker of the House of Representatives in the mid-1800s.

The words of these three men are representative of the consensus of thought that existed at the time America was founded, and that was the Bible and the practice of religion are necessary in order to have an orderly and free society.

In other words, in order for democracy to function a people must regulate their behavior. It either will come via a self-governance based on an accountability to God or it will be imposed from without by an accountability to government.

For more than four decades secularists of all stripes -– conservative, liberal and libertarian -- have been seeking to drive religions influence, especially that of Christianity, away from the public square. And now they decry the threat posed by surveillance and regulation?

If democracy, as envisioned by America’s founders, is to survive and thrive, Americans must learn to live either with the fear of God or the fear of government. As for me and my house, I choose the former. However, one or the other is enviable. Just ask George Orwell.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #1400]