IN TOUCH IMPACT TEAM

Security—Where Do We Find It?

    What in life gives you the greatest sense of security? Is it your bank account balance? Your spouse? Your career? Recently the Lord blessed me tremendously, and I was able to take my wife to the Virgin Islands for a birthday surprise. After flying into St. Thomas, we boarded a rickety old bus for a 40-minute ride over the mountains to catch a ferry to St. John. The narrow road had numerous switchbacks as well as cliffs plunging hundreds of feet straight down. I leaned over to Tracey and whispered, “We are entrusting our lives to a man we have never met and a bus we know nothing about mechanically.” I certainly did not have a strong sense of security—it was a rather helpless feeling. I was reminded of Hebrews 13:5-6: “. . . He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’”

We have security because God assured us the safest place to be is in His hands. (John 10:27-30) We are not somehow trying to cling to Him; He is graciously, lovingly holding onto us, and He will never let go. Knowing we are eternally secure in Christ gives us great confidence to bring Him our concerns and to know that He will answer our prayers according to His will.

    Prayer is a wonderful privilege through which God in His grace allows us to influence others for His kingdom. By joining our prayer team, you can help to impact the world for Christ. Register by visiting our website at www.kintera.org/prayerteam. U.S. or Canadian readers who lack access to the Internet and e-mail can still partner with us in prayer by going to the enclosed magazine order form and checking the “Yes” box—above the item code column—for prayer partners. Please be certain the phone number printed by your address is the one at which you desire to receive our automated message; otherwise, write in the preferred number. You will then receive an automated telephone message specifying our requests and answers to prayer. (International partners, please register on the website listed above.)

    I ask the question again: What in life gives you the greatest sense of security? I trust that your answer is God. He is the only one who can give you true security. May He richly bless you for taking an active part on our In Touch Impact Team/Prayer Partnership.

Robert J. Schipper
Chaplain/Executive Assistant
to the President

God Will Be With You

    A popular song on Christian radio asks, “If we are the body [of Christ], why aren’t His arms reaching? . . . And if we are the body, why aren’t His feet going?” An essential responsibility of In Touch Ministries is encouraging believers to be active participants in the body of Christ. God provided His children with an awesome opportunity when He told us to carry out the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:19) Often we think this important work is done only when we are verbally witnessing about the Lord. Actually, every action or kindness that draws someone toward Jesus or helps believers grow in their faith adds to the successful execution of our commission.

     James 2:17 tells us that faith without works is dead. We cannot be saved by our actions, but our works are a natural outlet for the overflow of love received from God. When we consider how we might contribute to the body of Christ, one of our primary stumbling blocks is fear. We are anxious that our skills are insufficient or that we will lack the appropriate words: If I say the wrong thing to the new neighbors, they will never want to know about God. Or we think our resources will be stretched too far by an opportunity: Lord, I can’t buy a coat for a needy child— I have to put coats on MY children! Sometimes, we feel certain of failure or rejection: I’d volunteer at the senior center, Jesus, but the residents wouldn’t like me. The list of fears to hide behind can become nearly as long as the opportunities to participate in the Lord’s work!

    God offers security for our fears. Moses and Gideon are two of many people in the Bible who balked at God’s call. To both men, the Lord said, “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12, Judges 6:16). God pledges His presence—and consequently His strength and grace—throughout Scripture. Jesus’ final words in the Great Commission are “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). In spite of their fears, Moses, Gideon, and each of the disciples accepted God’s promise and discovered the joy and safety of being in His will.

    As Jesus’ disciples today, we share the same call to obedience as did the heroes of the Bible. And we have access to the security offered by the same omnipotent and loving God.

In Touch Development
P.O. Box 620538 • Atlanta, GA 30362
(866) 786-2121