A Safe Place

The message was brought by Rev. Reynolds Frye.

Matthew 1: ²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. ²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. ²⁴ Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: ²⁵ And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

Jesus in the Hebrew means Joshua and common for a safe place.  Back in April 24, 1964 I didn’t like Christians.  I thought I was having a good time.  That night I got saved.  Right then I found a safe place and the peace that comes from that.  It’s time to bow somewhere.  You can’t be in a safer place.  Those gone on are in a safe place because they trusted Jesus.

We have a bunch of unstable people who only care about themselves.  In Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar had nothing but the world on his mind.  I remember those days when I didn’t care.  Now I know there is a safe place in Jesus.  I have Jesus living in me.  Nebuchadnezzar built a statue for people to bow and worship.  Some didn’t do it.  He told Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego they had to do it.  They refused stating they already had a God.  The punishment was being thrown into a fiery furnace.  It’s time to make sure we know we’ll do the right thing and go up when Jesus comes.  They told the King O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. God will deliver and make a way if we accept his way.  The boys had someone who could make a way where there seemed to be no way.

The king got mad.  The Hebrews were tied up and thrown in a furnace seven times hotter than usual.  They didn’t care what the king did because their God was able to care for them.  The men who threw them in the furnace died from the heat.  Later the king looked into the furnace and saw four men.  They were not bound but walking around.  The fire had not burned them.  He said one of them looked like the Son of God.  They were brought out of the furnace without even the smell of fire on them.  Even in the furnace these boys were in a place of safety.  What a joy to know we’re in a safe place.  If you’re saved you are there as well.  What peace to know your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life!

The world makes fun of Christians.  The devil is in on all of that.  We need to take a stand against the devil. I’m not ashamed to say I belong to God.  Remember it’s not about the place you find yourself; it’s about who is there with you that brings safety.  We have God.  Jonah tried to run from God and found himself swallowed by a fish. That turned out to be a safe place.  He repented and was spit out on the ground.  He went to Nineveh and with eight words the people put on sackcloth and repented, worshipping God.  The word of God turned a whole country around.

Hold on to God. One day you’ll be called to be with him forevermore, eternally in the safety of heaven.