A TOURNIQUET IS A M-U-S-T...! The tourniquet (for those who don't know) is the rope-like object that can be applied to someone who has been shot and is bleeding out. The flow of blood exiting the body means that LIFE is leaving the body - and death is soon approaching. Applying the tourniquet could possibly save the bleeding victim from dying. You must have a tourniquet, and you MUST know how to use it. You must have this item strategically placed somewhere in your sanctuary, church office, and other places you deem necessary. THIS CAN SAVE LIVES. Many victims of gunshot have bled to death that would not have done so had someone known how to apply a tourniquet...
I was truly grateful for the van that this dear lady gave to my family and I. It was the color of our choice and easily seated seven people. She had seen me on TBN and felt that the Lord told her to give me her van! I couldn’t believe it. I remember the day she brought it to our house. We were overwhelmed.
I kept it for years, took it everywhere, and just flat wore it out. It had two gas tanks; when one ran dry, you only needed to flip over to the other one. Eventually, however, both gas gauges broke, and I had to guess at the level of fuel in my tank. I was usually right…
In spite of all my training as a police officer, I've never felt real comfortable when dispatched to medical calls. I'm a police officer; I wanna take bad guys to jail. "The sick need a physician," Jesus said - not a cop...
But I have come to learn that God is in everything I do, and it pleases Him greatly when I respond to whatever call I am sent to - and do so with a good attitude.
Fred Winters was pastor of First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois. He was shot in his church and died shortly thereafter...
Paul the Apostle found himself in a rather strange predicament in Philippians 1. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to live or die. To depart and be with Christ would be far better, he wrote, but in the end he decided it would be better if he lived. He came to this conclusion based on the needs of the Philippians. Read it for yourself –
“ For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith.”
And this is one reason church safety is so important. Your pastor has work to do; souls to save, members to disciple, and so on. We want to keep him alive so he can fulfill his mission. If Satan targets anyone, he will surely aim at the minister. He will seek to destroy the pastor any way he can.
Fred Winters was the pastor of First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois.During the early service in March 2009, Pastor Winters was gun downed by Terry Sedlacek. There has been much debate as to why Sedlacek committed this crime in front of 190 worshipers. Winters was merely standing behind his pulpit when Sedlacek approached him and shot him.
One man at the church that morning who participated in stopping Sedlacek told me that he believed Satan was behind the murder. I agree with him. Jesus said the devil is a liar and a murderer. And the Apostle John warned us to not be like Cain who killed his brother because he was “of the evil one.”
After the shooting at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Ft. Worth, Texas, Pastor Al Meredith explained to a television reporter that he understood what was going on. He went on to say that Wedgwood is located near a seminary, and many of its students attend Wedgwood. Satan, he concluded, would target these preachers who would one day be spread across the globe sharing the word.
Many people are wrestling with the issue of church safety. They have difficulty with the issue of force, self-defense, etc. However, we must not allow such deception to set in. If Satan targets your pastor, you must be ready to defend him.
History shows that the enemy has targeted ministers. Millions of those who were faithful to spread the word have been in his sights. And if the devil succeeds, there will be excessive grief in your church for a very long time. You will spend years trying to heal the broken hearts of your congregation. Some of your members will never set foot again in a sanctuary.
Someone at your church needs to be assigned to “pastoral detail.” By this I mean that at least one member of your safety team needs to be with the minister the moment he arrives at church, and stay with him until he leaves. Stay close to him, and beware of any strangers who approached him. Stay out of his way for the most part, but be mindful of all who near him – especially those whom you do not recognize.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma a pastor was ministering to those who responded to the invitation. As he was doing so, one of the “seekers” punched him in the face (watch the video of this incident below).
Your church needs their pastor. He has a lot of unfinished work to do…
1- Do not allow your pastor to have to be concerned about church safety. Take care of this matter for him. His calling is to pray and preach. Don't dump this matter of safety on him.
2- After Sunday night services, insist that he goes home when he's done. Do not allow him to stay at church and lock all the doors. After preaching, his energy is exhausted. He needs to go home. Have your safety team check the building and make sure it's secure.
3- During the invitation/altar call, stay close by the pastor/minister. You never know why someone has come forward. Don't get in his way, but by all means keep a close eye on him. Be ready to help him. Speak with your pastor about this and work out a signal/code he can give if he needs your assistance.
4- Tell the pastor when he is at the church ALONE - keep the doors locked!
The similarities between Samson, his rise and fall, and the modern day church is quite revealing. Let me take you through his life right quick and see if you can see the parallels...
Samson was, to say the least, a very blessed man. He was dedicated to the Lord at an early age and grew up to do mighty things. From time to time the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he engaged in remarkable feats.
THE "CHURCH SAFETY TIP OF THE DECADE."
I am constantly asked by the press for safety tips for churches. And I constantly give the same answer. It goes something like this...
"Everything you do in the course of your everyday life - taking a shower, getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, saying goodbye to your family, driving to work, working, going to lunch, returning to work, going home, seeing your family...etc, etc - is what you do AFTER you... WAKE UP..."
If you did not wakeup, you would sleep away the day and get nothing accomplished. All the fruit of your labor is what happens AFTER you wakeup...
This is the dilemma that many churches are in: they are asleep. And it matters not in the least what "safety tips" they are given that might save the lives of their flock, if they stay in their slumber.
The greatest tip you will ever receive as to how to protect your flock is to a-w-a-k-e-n to the danger around you. From there you will find it easy to implement "safety tips." Such information is readily available...
The person who is asleep has no idea what is happening around them - for they are asleep. You cannot defend yourself in your sleep, nor can you defend the lives of those you love.
Paul the Apostle had it right: "...And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber..." (Romans 13)
When it comes to violence at houses of worship, we are no longer addressing a storm that is out at sea: we are talking about a storm that has arrived on our shores and is seeking to gain momentum.
I plead with you: WAKEUP....
The scriptures above are the last recorded words of God in the Old Testament. After these words, He says nothing for 400 years. It has been said that the last words spoken by someone should carry a lot of weight. Perhaps we should ponder these words that, after spoken, silence takes over for 4 centuries.
The verse is a prophetic one, foretelling of the day that John the Baptist would come. Part of his ministry would include turning the hearts of the fathers to their children, as well as turning the hearts of the children to their father. If this fails to happen, it states, the land will be struck with a curse.
