Stay...Safe?
Dave Andrews • July 20, 2020
Is it God's Will For Us To Be Safe?
Correct me if I am wrong. I looked…I tried to find it…there doesn’t seem to be any verses in the Word of God commanding us to be “safe!”
Right now, the entire world, your friends and family, the local church, and maybe even you are at times consumed with “staying safe.” Billboards, businesses, emails, stores, governments, verbal greetings, all include that same robotic tag word. Yet, as for believers in Christ, it's different. We live for something... correction...Someone else. The concept of safety is not what God has called us to, nor is it found in the vain human efforts that we see today. A face mask does not prevent any and all people from dying of something; reductions to our churches doesn’t prevent disease or keep the world from persecuting (or prosecuting) us. In this sin-saturated world, safety is not fully attainable.
It’s not that safety in and of itself is a bad thing. On the contrary, I am rather fond of it! But it is not the goal for us, as it is for those who are perishing…those who have little else. Scripturally speaking, safety for the Christian is a benefit to knowing Christ and living a Godly life in Him. For example, God is our refuge and strength in times of trouble (Ps. 46). Also the Lord surrounds those who trust in Him (Psalm 125). There is no small supply of verses about God being our source of safety and protection. What an encouragement. God also wants us to care for the temple He has entrusted to us (1 Corthinians 6:19). Yet, there seems to be an intended silence in the area of safety being God’s will
for our life. In fact, there is a good argument for the opposite.
A side-effect of being chosen by Christ, is that trouble is likely a-coming. The world will hate us (John 15:18). 2 Timothy 3:4 says that anyone who wants to live a godly life will be persecuted. The disciples were killed in some pretty unsafe ways for the work of Christ. God sent the people prophets, knowing that that they too would be harmed and killed (Luke 11:49). Jesus prayed that we would not be taken from the world, but that the Father would protect us from the evil one (Jn. 17:15). Let’s face it, it’s not always safe being one of God’s people. God knew the risks to come; and yet He still has a task for us on this earth. We should be okay with that…safety is not our goal. Instead we have a serious hope. Our Hope is eternal.
We have that expectation of enjoying true existence in our Heavenly home just around the corner. There will be no more pain, no more death, for those things are about to pass away. In the noon hour, Dr. David Jeremiah has been discussing the amazing and very real life we get to look forward to one day soon…so we are to rather focus on that. Like the ‘ol hymn says…
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.”
While it is Biblical to exercise wisdom in this life, perhaps safety is a hurdle we need to overcome to truly be about the work of the Kingdom. Do we love others enough and care enough to risk a social connection, to bring them to Christ? Are we serious enough about our faith to do what God has commanded us to do…even to gather together, when it is not socially acceptable, safe, or even banned? How serious are you really about your faith…that He will truly “surround you if you trust in Him?” Did you know our brothers and sisters around the world risk everything in this life for His sake? Are you willing to contract COVID, be persecuted and harmed, or violate a man-made rule to fulfill His commands which are clearly laid out in Scripture? Whose Kingdom do you belong to?
We take a step out in faith, to do His work out of a love for Him, and then leave it up to God to worry about safety. He protects us…really. But whether we are actually safe or not…it’s all good. We trust the One who commands us, we know His power is at work within us, and as Hillsong quite correctly sings, there is "Another In The Fire.” He is with us in the fiery furnace…and always, to the end of the age. That is some seriously good news for Christians. Perhaps instead of telling each other to “stay safe,” we can start a new slogan…perhaps "For His Kingdom," or "Another In The Fire?"
-Dave Andrews
KJOL Station Manager
Local Christian Radio, KJOL
PS- Do you think it is time for Christians to proclaim a different slogan for the days we are living in? I would love to hear your slogan ideas! Email dave@kjol.org.
Michael W. Smith is getting ready to release his first new studio album since 2018. Smith says “This whole record starts out with a bang... I don’t think I’ve had this many upbeat songs on any record that I’ve ever done. Those are really sort of hard to write.” But Michael says it’s not all “pop stuff.” I have a song about communion. I don’t think we have enough communion songs. And there’s a couple worship moments that are pretty powerful, too. The first three singles may remind you of his earlier sound from the 1990s, which some of us consider a good thing! The first single, “ Arms Around The World ,” features Jesus on the drums! Well, it’s Jonathan Roumie, to be precise, the actor who plays Jesus in “The Chosen” series! Michael says his “musical hero” is movie composer John Williams . I went and saw Raiders Of The Lost Ark 28 times in 1981 and it changed my life. I went “Why do I keep coming back?” And it was the music. That was the year I began to write cinematic music. That cinematic flare is included in his second single, “ Your Love Is A Flood ,” which has a 30-second counter-melody that sounds like it could be from “Jurassic Park.” That same cinema sound also opens his third single is “ Kingdom Come ,” which Michael says is his personal prayer . This one is so close to my heart, born out of the prayer I’ve prayed daily: ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ It’s a bold anthem of hope, healing, and God’s presence breaking into our lives. At the end of November, Smith will join Amy Grant and CeCe Winans for a nine city tour, followed by his Christmas tour in December with special guest Riley Clemmons. But unlike Laura Story (who will be in Grand Junction for a free Christmas concert, courtesy of KJOL), you’ll have to go to Florida to catch Michael’s Christmas tour .
Forrest Frank has been everywhere this year. He even broke his back and wrote a song about it ( God's Got My Back ) while lying on his back! But one place Forrest Frank won't be this year is the Dove Awards . He announced that he will no longer attend any of the awards shows, including the Doves and the Grammys. “As Christians, it’s hard to know where the line in the sand is between being in the world and not of the world,” he said . Pondering where to draw the line between being in the world but not of the world, he said, “I’m convicted, personally, that a line that I can draw is that I will not receive a trophy for something that is from Jesus and for Jesus.” Frank added, “I was wrestling with this last year. I even said that on stage at the Dove Awards. I said, ‘I’m still struggling with the concept of receiving this award, but all glory to Jesus, every name will fade away, including mine, except for one name.’” So he decided "to go even a step further and say, ‘I don’t know if I even want to step on the stage. I don’t know if I want to step in the room.’ So I will not be attending the Doves and the Grammys.” “I hope to be an example to the youth that the trophy is our salvation ,” he added. “The trophy is that my name is listed in the Book of Life and I get to have eternal life . What good is a piece of metal going to do compared to that?” His absence at the Dove awards will no doubt be a problem for them. He’s nominated for four major awards: Song of the Year (Composer): Good Day Recorded Song of the Year: Your Way's Better Album of the Year: Child Of God Artist of the Year He is almost certain to win at least one of those awards. UPDATE : The Dove ceremony was broadcast Friday, October 10. Forrest Frank won three major awards! Artist of the Year Album of the Year (Child of God) Recorded Song of the Year (Your Way's Better)
We are so blessed to have a number of new listeners lately; and we are blessed to have some listeners who have been with us since the very start! If you were a listener during “the old days” before the KJOL radio network was sold...
Laura Story never set out to be a songwriter . She didn’t even know she could sing until she was in college. In 1996, while a student at Columbia International University in South Carolina, she met Shane Williams from the band “Silers Bald.” (Silers Bald is a mountain peak in Tennessee. It’s called a “bald” because it is not covered in trees.) Shane recruited Laura to join the band – as the band’s bass player! Then she began writing songs, and in 2002, she recorded her first album, Indescribable . But it was Chris Tomlin who made the song “ Indescribable ” a huge hit when he recorded it in 2004. Laura remained largely unknown until she released Great God Who Saves in 2008. Besides the title track, it included “ Mighty to Save ,” “ Bless The Lord ” and “ Immortal Invisible .” In 2011, she released the album “ Blessings .” The title song was born out of the difficult circumstances surrounding her husband Martin’s brain tumor (a story for another time). “Blessings” won a Grammy and a Dove for Best Contemporary Song. Most recently, Laura Story joined the Keith & Kristyn Getty Worship Conference, where she performed her latest song, “ Psalm 27 (The Lord Is My Light) ”.
Our August drawing is of course over, but congratulations to our three winners of couples registrations to the Weekend To Remember Conferences. If you missed out, I want to let you know, that underway through September 15th, the Family Life Today Weekend to Remember Getaways are half off…so be sure to use the group nam
Big Daddy Weave released their new album “Let It Begin” in May. It was their first album in six years. There’s a reason for that. Most bands release new albums every two or three years, but on January 2, 2022, Jay Weaver died from COVID. He was Mike Weaver’s younger brother (hence the “Weave” in the band’s name). They spent the next three years processing the loss and putting their grief into song. In 2023, they released the duet with Katy Nichole, “ God Is In This Story .” God is in this story, God is in the details Even in the broken parts, He holds my heart, He never fails Later that year, Big Daddy Weave released “ Heaven Changes Everything .” In the light of eternity I have this hope Thank You, Jesus, Heaven changes everything In 2024, they released “ Let It Begin .” Mike Weaver said he had been intensely grieving the death of his brother and would cry every time he told the story on stage, until one night the healing began. Meanwhile, Matt Maher had written this song without knowing that Weaver's healing that had started. Mike remembered, “He reached out to me and was just like, ‘Man, I’ve had this song that has been on my heart for you guys.’ I read the lyrics, and it’s what I couldn’t say.” If my wounds could tell one story, Let it be a testimony That You don’t leave me where I’ve been. If this is healing, let it begin Their new single is “ I’ve Just Seen Too Much .” Listen for it on KJOL. Some days it feels like I’ve been losing more than I have found I won’t tell you that I’ve got it all together, If you know me, then You know my faith has wavered If you ask me why I trust Him When it feels like everything has come undone All I can tell you is, I’ve just seen too much
