Secure in the Lord

God has called us to be confident in Him, and when we are beset by fear, He offers us powerful
resources. Consider these words from 2nd Timothy chapter 1:
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,
9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began...

Fear will distort and paralyze us, giving us a skewed vision on the circumstances around us.  Fear invades the mind and deceives - but, the power of God can be released in our thinking as we meditate on the Scriptures and think upon truth.  Sound-mindedness is a virtue that we can acquire as we devote ourselves to seeking God and being determined to walk in His ways.  We can overcome fear, we do not have to be held in bondage to it.

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In Psalm 56, verse 3 is very simple, but provides a great reminder of whom we can trust when we
encounter fear:
3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

Later the Psalm, we read:
9 When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.
10 In God (I will praise His word), In the Lord (I will praise His word),
11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Earlier this month, the Corinth Missionary Baptist Church in Lake Palestine, Texas had a rather unusual visitor.  The Breaking Christian News website summarized a report from the Tyler Morning Telegraph, which says that an armed and heavily tattooed man, who was wearing camouflage fatigue pants, camo boots, a black T-shirt and a tactical vest, was sweating profusely when he launched into a rant about being a "man of Islam."

The man, Rasheed Abdul Aziz, then reportedly started yelling about "how his god had authorized him to take lives" and that it was okay for him to kill "infidels." Pastor John D. Johnson III said, "Every hair on my neck just stood up."

While Aziz displayed aggressive behavior, Johnson, a former parole officer, did not.  The pastor got between Aziz and the door, asked him to calm down and offered him a prayer and cool drink.  He is quoted as saying, "I never gave him the power of feeling he was in control [or] that I was frightened," adding, "I was very cautious not to raise my voice or make any quick moves."

The Telegraph reports that Johnson had determined that Aziz had a gun. The pastor told him he was going to take care of him but needed to get his kids situated first. That was his excuse to step out in the hall and whisper to his wife and another member there, “We got a problem. Get everybody out of the church.” Johnson said, "It was as if we had trained, but we hadn’t."   The church was evacuated, and the pastor left, too - Aziz then left, albeit temporarily.

Law enforcement was already en route because a church member had called 911. Johnson praised their response time, collaboration and character.

“It was just downright amazing the compassion they showed, the attitude, the aggressiveness,” he said.

He also thanked God for giving him the clarity of mind to immediately have a plan and put that plan in place.

Law enforcement officials said they believed Aziz came back to the church later in the day, Johnson said. On Monday, a church deacon found a note Aziz apparently left to thank the church for its kindness.

“That note was in stark contradiction to what he did in deed and statement,” Johnson said.

Aziz was apprehended Sunday night.  The Telegraph reports that he has been charged on federal counts in addition to two state charges.

Smith County judicial records show 40-year-old Aziz was jailed on a federal detainer of felon in possession of a firearm, a Smith County felony on the same charge and a felony charge from Cherokee County for terroristic threat.

The first paragraph of the Breaking Christian News story quotes the pastor: "Please put security measures in place. Do not get caught thinking that this only happens in other places—in big places. It's by the grace and mercy of God that we are not on the other side of history; the other side of tragedy."

So, there's our first lesson from this series of events, a concept echoed by Carl Gallups of Hickory Hammock Baptist Church in Milton, Florida on a recent Meeting House program.  In these troubled times, church security is important.  And, we recognize where ultimately our security comes from, a concept embraced by Pastor Johnson.  As the church visitor became more agitated, the pastor was calm - he met aggression with meekness.

And, I think that's a great posture for us, in a variety of situations.  It's easy to become angry and panic-stricken when we are on the receiving end of aggression.  But, when we encounter opposition, we can rely on the peace of Almighty God, who will give us, as the pastor said, clarity of mind.  If you've seen the movie, War Room, you no doubt remember that the two female leads met a potential attacker who pulled a knife on them and asked for money.  Miss Clara replied, "No," and told the man to leave them alone, in the name of Jesus.  What fortitude!  Perhaps you, like me, have heard a similar story of a person under duress who turns back danger by calling on the Lord. We can be challenged to abide in the peace of God, which passes all understanding.

I don't know what the mental state of Mr. Aziz was at the time - perhaps in a bizarre way, he was seeking help.  But, you cannot deny that there are people on this earth who desire to do harm to Christians because we are Christians.  This is a cause for prayer and preparation.  We have to recognize the potential threats and realize that we serve a great God, the One True God, who will equip us as we depend on Him.  When we are in danger, when fear besets us, we can place our trust in Christ.