OR ALMOST STOLEN?
MANY HAVE…

I HAVE.

In this day and age (2022) there are regular accounts of missing children, missing teenagers, and even missing adults. Remember beloved and crabbies: Satan IS after you! Whether you are in Christ, a godly Jewish person, or one stupid enough to hate and / or ignore God, the father of lies IS after you!

Selah.

This fool wants to hurt his Creator and yours. And do you know what? He does! Adam’s choice to rebel against God ushered in all the curses that we need relief from…

And relief is available through the applied blood of Jesus Christ:

 

Revelation 12:11
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

 

That’s what I stand on! And: I do not say only the first portion of this holy and imperative Scripture: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,…” No! I regularly and daily proclaim out loud the entire, necessary, and protective Word of God:

 

 

Revelation 12:11
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

 

Yes, I have almost been stolen.

When I was a little girl we had just moved from Saint Paul (Oh! How I love that name!) to South Saint Paul (Again!) I was up the street in the backyard of a new friend of mine, Patty. She was in her house for a reason I can’t even remember. This was almost sixty years ago… I was waiting in her backyard playing and occupying my time when after a little while a man who had parked his truck in the alley spoke to me. Although alleys are fun, secretive; they are potentially dangerous because of the seclusion. (But then again, where in the world is anyone safe? ANSWER: nowhere but hidden in Christ!) In South Saint Paul alleys are all over the place and I like them to this day. But I remember being surprised at this man’s arrival. I never noticed the truck or him until he spoke to me. Satan likes that!

 

LIFESAVING NOTE:
PLEASE – mothers,
as my mom warned me about strangers – warn yours!
Yes, it’s hard and sad to have to speak to innocent and beautiful little children about this! But Satan doesn’t want even these little precious ones to be cherished! Remember, I was only six — and I knew what to do.

 

I cannot remember how I started out for Patty’s front yard, but this is what I remember and will never forget: the man told me: “Come here. I have to tell you something from your friend.”  As I said, I was new to the neighborhood; understandably didn’t know who this man was. Thank God for instincts He has instilled in children! (And me being a child of about six or I was hidden in Christ.) And for my mother who warned me about strangers!! I can’t remember what I told him, If I said anything at all. It may have been: “No. I have to go home now.”  I do vividly remember walking (not running) to the front of Patty’s house. What’s interesting is that no one in the house had yet to come out. In fact, I don’t remember ever telling Patty about the man, but I probably did. As I walked carefully and deliberately to her front yard, I saw my tennis shoe was untied. Immediately (and as a little girl’s thinking) I thought to myself: “I can’t trip!” So I stooped down by a short hedge, knowing he could see me and knowing this was an evil man… I tied my shoe and then started running as fast as I could.

Beloved and crabbies,
as a girl in first grade way back in 1962 I was terrified of this man! That’s the world we live in then and now. But I’m not terrified any longer, which I will get into shortly here. Patty’s home was nearly at the end of the block: mine, in the opposite direction was.

When I saw kids playing on the sidewalk almost as far down as in front of my house and I began to feel a little safer. Even when I got home fear gripped me. My mom was quick to see me and I imagine (again, I can’t recall) she immediately saw the fear, truly, the terror I felt and reflected on my face and entire body… I was safe! Though I didn’t feel it, I was safe!

The man never came after me. He knew he would not be able to steal me! He knew he lost that kidnapping! He knew! And God knew! This happened so many years ago and when I finally became a child of God I never even thought about him, prayed for him… In my prayers for sinners though, he would have been included. I believe by now he probably is dead. I hope (through the goodness of God) he repented and is my brother now!

 

THE LESSON
The reason I am no longer terrified of people has to be only and because of promises from my Father:

 

Psalm 32:6-7
Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

 

Isaiah 54:17
no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.

 

Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people

 

And these are just three promises of His! Find more! One alone is inerrant!!!

Beloved (and crabbies – listen up!) we know we live in a fallen world. The world is not what it is supposed to be because Adam wouldn’t keep it that way! He listened to the thief who regularly comes in an attempt to slaughter, steal and destroy. The word slaughter is the Koine Greek New Testament word which amplifies the truth of Satan’s plot.

SATAN WANTS TO STEAL YOU:
He has succeeded with every person who denies truth and is accountable to God. (These would never include babies, little children; nor teenagers and adults who are unable to understand the gospel.)

Satan, the evil one, has a sneaky plan like this evil man who tried to kidnap me. I cannot tell you enough: study your rights through Christ Jesus. Claim His promises OUT LOUD daily, believe them, rejoice in them, and trust God who never lies!

Because you are so immensely important to God and His Church, I now list seven (the perfect number!) Scriptures for you to embrace! Also please remember and pray Psalm 91 daily!

 

#1
Leviticus 26:6-8
“‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.  You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you.  Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.

 

#2
2 Chronicles 16:7-9
At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.  Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

 

#3
Psalm 1:6
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

 

#4
Psalm 41:1-2
Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord protects and preserves them—they are counted among the blessed in the land—he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.

 

#5
Proverbs 1:32-33
For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

 

#6
1 Peter 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

 

#7
2 Thessalonians 3:1-3
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.  And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.  But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.