Our Family’s Safety and Security
excerpted from “The Dobra Family Mission” 2010 Revision
Our King, Jesus, warns us that until His return we live in a cursed world and that we will have to face disaster.
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Matthew 24:6-7
Jesus tells us not to be alarmed, that wars and natural disasters will happen. We think our family needs to be prepared. For God’s glory, we need to be prepared to weather the storm, to rebuild, to care for others, and to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those in need.
Disasters in General: Natural and Man Made
Be Prepared for the Storm!
As Jesus warned, the world is wicked and cursed. We can learn from the story of Noah the great need for God’s families to be spiritually and physically prepared for disaster.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. . . Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood. . . I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark— you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. . . Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
From Genesis 6 (see also: Acts 11:27-30)
Be Prepared to Rebuild the Church!
We can learn from Ezra that God’s families need to be ready to rebuild God’s Church, to care for, build up, and encourage God’s people for God’s glory!
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. . . When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site.
Ezra 1:5, 2:68
Be Prepared to Rebuild the Community!
We can learn from Nehemiah that God’s families need to be ready to rebuild and defend their communities for God’s glory!
So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. . . Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work. . .” Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.
Nehemiah 4:6, 11, 13-15
If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed.
Exodus 22:2
Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.
Proverbs 25:26
Be Prepared to Care for and Share with Others
We should always be prepared to care for those in need and we should always be prepared to share our eternal hope with any one, but especially with those in great need and distress.
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
From Matthew 25:34-40
And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Hebrews 13:16
Do Not Fear!
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. . . The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
From Mark 4:35-41
Persecution
Jesus also warns His disciples that we will face persecution of one form or another because of His name. We should learn from our brothers and sisters in the underground church in restricted nations where they are violently persecuted today.
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”
Matthew 24:9-11
“Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.”
Luke 6:22
Proclaim the Gospel
Even in the face of persecution, the Gospel must be proclaimed!
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end willcome.”
Matthew 24:14
Endure to the end
Stand firm in the faith!
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
Matthew 24:12-13
“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.”
Luke 12:4
We hope to live out our vision and mission to honor and glorify God and to leave a Godly legacy by being prepared, by rebuilding, by caring, and by sharing during good times and bad!
* See Safety topics in Appendix for more information.
** Read “Tortured for Christ” by Richard Wurmbrand for first hand account of persecution at the hands of the Nazis and Communists and the work of the underground church! www.torturedforchrist.com
Dobra Family Ministry 