Safe And Secure (Find The Hidden Message)

Safe and Secure (find the hidden message) Feb/2013

I was going to write a message late the other night and I thought about a great champion for the Lord that day, that was Stephen in Acts chapter 7. I have always pictured Stephen as young and on fire for Jesus, stands ready to serve Him until death and that’s what happens. Here is part of that story about Stephen. He had his day in court but, it wasn’t much in justice. He called them betrayers and murders of Jesus and that’s what leads to his death.

Acts 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

What a soldier of faith Stephen was and I would say, still is. He stood up for Jesus and got stoned to death.

We can be stoned today but, not die as Christians. We can be stoned by persecution, jealously, the feeling of not being good enough and such mind sets as …what’s the use? (I thought that this would be a good message)

Then there is the powerful message that Stephen said himself…. looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, (I thought this is always a great message that Jesus stands when His saints enter heaven.)

My wife Brenda had gone to bed because it was getting late and I was getting sleepy and I must have dosed off and began to dream.

I remember being at the hospital surrounded by some family members. I was really tired and so sleepy. I drifted off to sleep and it seemed my pain was finally under control by the doctors or so I thought.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw two angelic beings next to the ceiling. Their wings covered themselves from head to toe with such beauty and all of a sudden their wings began to unfold and show their perfect form. I began to feel so safe and secure as I have never felt before. I was thinking, God has sent them to heal me!

They came closer, one on each side. I was released from my body just as you would unfasten a seat belt in a car but, I never felt frighten or afraid only safe and secure.

I could see my love ones as they left the room but, I was thinking wait, don’t you see the heavenly angels? I was rising above my bed and came close to the ceiling as I saw the angels just a few minutes before. I turned and looked back at my bed and there were doctors and nurses working on me in such a dramatic way.

I look at the angels and they just smiled as to say “your work has finished here it’s time to go.”

The next moment I was ushered through the ceiling and soaring through the universe at a speed you could not comprehend but, I could still see Gods wonderful creation. As I turned to look back I saw earth slowly disappearing as it became just another star in the sky. I looked at the angels smiling face again, it was as though they were as excited as I was about what was happening and I felt safe and secure even though I was thousands of miles maybe millions away from my earthly home.

Then and only then is when I finally realized that I was on my way to heaven. I just died back on that hospital bed! My wife, my family! This time the angels turned to look at me as to say, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Again I felt safe and secure and knew my family would follow the same route, experience the same thing as did all others that belong to Jesus.