“God’s Witness Protection Program”
By
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Opening: - We are living in what the Bible calls perilous times. Wrong is being called right and right is being called wrong. Homosexualism is running rampant, drug addictions are rising, and the very moral fiber of our nation is just about gone. We are living in the time when there is war and rumors of wars. Every time we turn on the television it seems as though one nation is going against another nation and America is right there in the middle, but we look at it and say that’s a shame. We have become so desensitized that the more and more something is not like God the more we are readily accepting it and pacify it by saying oh it’s just the change in time. What we fail to understand is that this mentality and desensitization is nothing but the devil trying to stop the plan of God. We have people saying we can’t get involved or we can’t make a difference. They are living in fear that there will be some kind of awesome retaliation so they are just waiting to see what will happen next. Fear has captivated them and they don’t know what to do. However, God is saying I need a witness in these times.
Psalms 91:1 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
In the late 1960’s the “Federal Witness Protection Program” was established. The Federal Witness Protection Program is able to relocate and give new identities to witnesses who risk their lives by giving testimony as well as providing financial and employment aid.
Witness protection is the process in which witnesses, such as those who testify in criminal trials, are protected against intimidation before their testimony or criminal retaliation after.
A Witness: - One that gives evidence, specifically one who testifies in a cause before a judicial counsel. One asked to be present at a transaction so as to be able to testify to its having taken place. One who has personal knowledge of something? Public affirmation by word or example.
Evidence: - an outward sign, something that furnishes proof, one who voluntarily confesses a crime and testifies for the prosecution.
Protection: - Supervision or support of one that is smaller and weaker, it is to cover or shield from exposure, injury, or destruction, to guard.
According to the Federal Witness Protection Agency, “No program participant following security guidelines has ever been harmed while under the active protection of the Marshal’s Service”, nearly all of the witnesses who were harmed had failed to fully comply, oftentimes contacting old acquaintances.
Someone maybe saying so what does this have to do with us. What has this to do with church and this revival? Well let’s talk about God’s witness protection program.
Remember a witness is one that gives evidence, one that testifies for the prosecution in a criminal case.
Understand that you were created to give God glory. You were created to give God praise. You were created to be a witness for the Lord. You are created as evidence to furnish proof of just how good God is. You were created to give testimony of how the devil has tried to take your life, but God has delivered you, God has made a way for you, God has healed you and set you free.
Contrary to you personal belief you were not created to be a drug dealer, I don’t care how much money you make. You were not created to be a pimp, player, big baller, shot caller. You were not created to be a gangster or thug. You were not created to get rich or die trying. You were created to give God glory and to make his name glorious. You are to testify of His goodness and His mighty acts toward you. You were created to be a witness for the Lord.
The devil knows this WATCH THIS: and what he is trying to do is contaminate the evidence. You are the evidence against him and he is trying to contaminate you. That’s why you find your self doing the drugs that you do. That’s why you drink the alcohol that you do. That’s why you throw caution to the wind and live in any despicable condition that you live in because the devil is trying to contaminate the evidence. You think in your mind that you are having fun. You feel as though you can’t live without that stuff. You feel as though there is nothing else for you, but that is just the devil trying to contaminate the evidence. He feels and is trying to convince you that if he can contaminate the evidence that there will be no trial, but that’s not the case, there is going to be a trial and he will be judged, the question is are you going to testify against him or are you going to testify for him. The way you testify is determined by the life you live.
Someone might be saying, but you just don’t understand I am scared. You just don’t understand I am being repeatedly abused by the devil, I’ve been plundered and emotionally emasculated, I feel like I’m about ready to lose my mind. I fell like Rockwell said I always feel like somebody’s watching me. I feel that what I do have will be taken away from me. I feel that if I try to get out of this style of living what else can I do. But in God’s witness protection program you don’t have to be afraid. There has never been a case were a witness in God’s witness protection program has ever been hurt as long as they follow the rules.
My mind goes back to some that were in God’s witness protection program. In fact Hebrews 12:1 says “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
My mind goes to a witness by the name of Joseph. His very own family turned against him. Nothing hurts more then having your family against you. His brothers were jealous of him they cast him in a pit, then sold him into slavery, lied to their father and said he was dead. But Joseph was in God’s witness protection program and in the midst of his trials in the midst of his enemies God protected him. And when he gave testimony and presented the evidence, his enemies, and his very own family had to bow down why because he was in God’s witness protection program.
My mind goes to a Hebrew child witness that at birth was supposed to be killed according to the law of the Pharaoh, so that the testimony would not be given. The pharaoh was being used by the devil trying to destroy the evidence, but this boy was in God’s witness protection program and instead of being a victim of Pharaoh’s law he was protected in Pharaoh’s house. His name was Moses and he was in God’s witness protection program.
My mind goes to another witness that was in God’s witness protection program by the name of Daniel. Daniel was told not to pray to any other god then that of the image of the king or else you would be killed, but Daniel was in God’s witness protection program and he prayed to the one and only true God. The king found out about it and cast Daniel in the Lion’s den trying to destroy the evidence, but God protected him and he gave his testimony. Why because he was in God’s witness protection program.
There is another witness I want to talk about, he’s not in the Bible, but he is a witness his name is Mel. I was created to give God glory, just like you, you, and you but the devil wanted to destroy the evidence (me), he didn’t want me to give testimony. So what he tried to do was take me out of here. I did my drugs and drank my alcohol just like some of you, but one day the devil really tried to get rid of me. He was trying to get rid of the evidence, I was being plundered by the devil, I was emotionally emasculated, I felt alone in the crowd, and I felt as though there was no hope, I was on a fast track to hell and I really didn’t know what was going on. At the age of 19 I stood in front of a 7-11 store taking a bottle of sleeping pills, washing it down with a bottle of Nyquil, then going and drinking E&J and chasing it with Michelob, the devil was trying to get rid of the evidence. He knew that I was a witness for the prosecution Jesus Christ, he knew I was going to testify against him and he was trying to stop my testimony. Because he knew that I would overcome him by my testimony. So he was trying to stop my testimony.
But I decided to get into God’s witness protection program and now I am free. I’m no longer bound, my eyes have been open and I’m no longer in darkness. I have received forgiveness and have been given an inheritance among them which are sanctified. I have joy unspeakable full of glory. I’m a witness in God’s witness protection program. No weapon that is formed against me shall prosper. Oh yea the devil is mad, but he can’t touch this, I am protected.
Well let’s compare the Federal witness protection program with God’s witness protection program.
FEDERAL WITNESS PROTECTION GOD”S WITNESS PROTECTION
Relocates you to another place Relocates you from darkness into light
Gives new identity Makes you a new creature
Provides financial aid Supplies all your needs according to His riches in glory
Must sever all ties Come out from among them
In the federal witness protection program once you enter in you cannot have any contact with the old acquaintances because you are susceptible to being killed God’s witness protection program you are expected to go back and testify and present evidence of what God has done and He will protect you in the midst of your enemies.
Someone may want to get into God’s witness protection program, but you are not sure of what all you have to do. It is real easy.
Acts 2:37-38 says “Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
All you have to do is repent. Repent means to be Godly sorry of your sins and turn from them and don’t do them any more. You must be baptized in the wonderful name of Jesus, for there is no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved. And He will give you the Holy Ghost. It is this Holy Ghost that changes your identity and turns you into a new creature. It is this Holy Ghost which gives you the power to be able to stand and testify against the devil. It is this Holy Ghost which places you into God’s Witness Protection Program. It is this Holy Ghost that causes you to have life and have it more abundantly. It is the Holy Ghost that breaks the shackles of sin. Are you in God’s Witness Protection Program.
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
