Safety in the Midst of Chaos (Edmund Spieker)

Hello friend, and a warm welcome to MemCare by Radio. If you are living through a time of stress, insecurity and even chaos in your life, maybe this message is just for you. There is light at the end of the tunnel. As you trust in Jesus, you can believe and know that He has the last word, whatever your situation. He told His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth…and I am with you always, even to the end of the earth.”

 

Edmund Spieker is with us again. Today his theme is: How come I should feel save in the midst of chaos? Welcome Edmund, what motivated you to come up with a title like this?

 

It seems to me, Scott, that our days are filled with growing unrest and conflict. Recently, dear friends of ours in Brazil were assaulted right in front of their home at gunpoint. Five shots were fired at them. It was a miracle that they survived. Their case is nothing out of the ordinary in that country. The government released a statistic stating that there are about 40,000 fatalities a year as a result of violent crime. The picture is not very different in many of the poor countries.

 

One just has to watch the news and it seems so obvious that these are most difficult times.

 

The AIDS epidemic is harvesting millions of victims and uncounted orphans are left behind. The suffering is unspeakable and the toll is chaos and fear.

 

The ethnic and religious violence in many nations is spreading. When the Lord Jesus Christ was speaking about the end times, He characterized those days in the following words, “And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars;”…and then He added, “see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.”

 

One has to agree that it is humanly impossible for anyone to feel safe in the midst of such chaos, but that is exactly the point Jesus was making when He encouraged His disciples. He was not providing them with emergency procedures in order to find a way out of the chaos. He rather was pointing them to Himself as the One who is peace and gives peace.

He said, “In Me you have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

 

My friends in Brazil told me about the miracle of peace and safety they experienced in the midst of that terrible assault. They first felt a rush of death and the powers of darkness crushing down on them. Nevertheless, when it was all over what was left was not the trauma of it all, but rather a deep awareness that the Lord had put His hand over them and kept them for His purposes. Their hearts were overflowing with praise.

 

Edmund, in a case with a happy ending, so to say, that seems so much easier than when the outcome is death and loss. What about when the evil gets the upper hand and there is nothing to celebrate anymore?

 

Scott, let me go back to the promise of Jesus. He said, “In ME you have peace!..in the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” The fact is that there is no place in this world where we can celebrate permanent and complete safety, but there is peace and eternal safety in Jesus. It is decisive, though, that we personally appropriate the words ‘in ME’. I mean both - the preposition ‘in’ and the pronoun ‘ME’.

 

I have a vivid example of someone who lost so much, nevertheless found all her security in Jesus. That person is my own mother who went through the second World War. She lost her husband on the battlefield, a five year old daughter was killed by an army truck, she fled with her little children from the invading armies for months, and then she had to care for those children in years of extreme need. As a child I already recognized the truth of Jesus’ word that there is peace in Him, because of her example and witness to us. She would cling to the promises of God. She would travail in prayer and many times with tears ask the Lord to carry her through and to take care of us. She told Him that He was her only refuge. She modeled before my eyes total dependency and trust. My Dad never returned from the war, my little sister was forever gone, and the hard times dragged on for years, nevertheless mother reflected to us children the safety one can find in Jesus alone.

 

Edmund, this is indeed remarkable and what a blessing this must have been for your own life!

 

Yes, indeed. Actually, thinking of her I am reminded of the testimony of Psalm 46 where we read :

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, and the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; thought the waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.”

 

Edmund what about when you are in jeopardy because of your testimony for Jesus Christ? Should you just quiet down and play it safe, or does the same promise that a person is protected as long as he/she is in Jesus, apply?

 

The biblical promise is that we have peace in Jesus. If Jesus sends us to witness for Him in areas were the Gospel is being opposed, there is definitely risk involved. Nevertheless He promised to be with us. He also told his disciples in Matthew 10, “Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.” While the disciple of Christ should not put himself lightly into harms way, Jesus makes it very clear that to be His witness can cost one’s life. But, in the same breath, so to speak, He admonishes not to be fearful.

 

His Kingdom and His reward are eternal. He goes so far as to say, “And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.…Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.”

 

The mission of Jesus was to bring redemption through His atoning death on the cross. To His disciples He gave the commission to take the Good News to all peoples. The Gospel is the power if God for salvation to everyone who believes.

 

Actually the Bible describes a witness of the Gospel with love and cheers by saying, “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness.” Real and permanent peace and happiness are found in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus alone, therefore the forces of darkness will forever try to resist it.

 

But whatever Satan might attempt, the believer is safe in Jesus. He said, “Abide in Me and I will abide in you.”…and, “if anyone loves Me, he will keep my word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

 

These are marvelous and profound promises.

 

Yes, and it certainly helps us to understand even better when the Bible promises, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

 

Well, should I feel safe in the midst of chaos? Yes, I can as I allow the Lord Jesus to live His life in me and as I trust His word no matter what.

 

Friends, that brings us to the end of our time. Thank you for being with us. I hope this program encouraged your heart even in difficult times. May the peace of God, that surpasses understanding, guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus!