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    Heaven's Lockbox: Finding Eternal Security in an Insecure World
    Heaven's Lockbox: Finding Eternal Security in an Insecure World
    Heaven's Lockbox: Finding Eternal Security in an Insecure World
    Ebook112 pages1 hour

    Heaven's Lockbox: Finding Eternal Security in an Insecure World

    By D.L. Starkey

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    About this ebook

    Is it possible to know for sure that you are saved?
    Can you have that assurance that passes all understanding?
    Is your life stuck on hold because you dont feel Gods love?
    Can you really ever feel confident in your walk with the Lord?
    Has your relationship with the Lord created more doubt than joy?

    Discover the freedom and happiness you seek in Heavens Lockbox. Gods desire is to make you feel secure, confident, and joyful in spirit. Lay your insecurities at the foot of the cross and truly live!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWestBow Press
    Release dateMar 13, 2013
    ISBN9781449788001
    Heaven's Lockbox: Finding Eternal Security in an Insecure World
    Author

    D.L. Starkey

    In his forty years of pastoral service, D. L. Starkey has served in various settings, including that of a senior pastor, pastor of evangelism/education, teacher, biblical counselor, and chaplain. He has both a DMin and MMin degree. He also holds degrees in broadcasting and social work. He was entrenched in legalistic teaching in his earlier years of service and sensed there must be a more biblical approach to life. D. L. Starkey is married to his lovely wife, Patty. They have five wonderful grown children. They make their home in Southern California.

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      Book preview

      Heaven's Lockbox - D.L. Starkey

      Heaven’s

      Lockbox

      Finding Eternal Security

      in an Insecure World

      D. L. Starkey

      logoBlackwTN.ai

      Copyright © 2013 D. L. Starkey.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      WestBow Press

      A Division of Thomas Nelson

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.westbowpress.com

      1-(866) 928-1240

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

      and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      Scripture quotations are from the American Standard Version, Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1901. Public domain in the United States. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the American Standard Version

      Any stories included in this book are based on true events even though most personal names (other than the author’s name), including many of the surrounding events, dialogues and locations have been changed to protect privacy.

      ISBN: 978-1-4497-8799-8 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4497-8800-1 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2013904507

      WestBow Press rev. date: 3/11/2013

      Table of Contents

      Preface

      Introduction

      SECTION ONE-Joy Robbers

      Chapter One Dismantling Of The Gospel

      Chapter Two Demands of Perfectionism

      SECTION TWO -God’s Mercy On Display

      Chapter Three Termite-Riddled Oak Tree

      Chapter Four The Scarlet Rope

      Chapter Five Saintly Sinner

      Chapter Six Forgiveness At Sychar

      Chapter Seven A Fissured Rock

      SECTION THREE -Heaven’s Lock Box

      Chapter Eight Sealed!

      Epilogue

      Preface

      You have been turned away. You have failed again. Victory, freedom, and success have eluded you. Numerous times you have been reminded that your failures exceed your successes. Your ledger of good and bad is heavily weighted on the dark side. You have done the inconceivable, unmentionable, shameful, and horrid. Your name better fits the scribblings on the public bathroom wall than it does in the hall of spiritual heroes.

      You left God standing at the last train depot as you hurled down the track of destruction into oblivion. Sounds rather bleak doesn’t it? However, I wager that these gruesome depictions are not too far off when you are face to face with your darker moments.

      In your sleep, you see the faces that once believed in you. You have felt the burning gaze of those who judged you as unredeemable, and in your heart, you knew they were right.

      Once that white garment has been soiled, there is no washing the dirt out—no matter how many washings. Can you still find victory and hope when you have restarted your life so many times before? Is there any security for the believer or is God’s grace shut off for good? What is taking away your joy in Christ? How do you defeat the joy robbers in your life?

      Legalism may have halted your growth in the Lord. You have been burdened with so many rules and regulations, that spiritual freedom has become a foreign concept in your ashtray of scattered hopes—that has turned into ashes.

      How can you know for sure that you have a shot at heaven? Is your salvation that easily lost? Hopefully, you will find the answers you seek as you explore grace through Heaven’s Lock Box.

      Introduction

      I still remember the excitement I felt when my father bought me my first and only telescope. We lived in a small house in San Diego, California. Our backyard provided a clear view of the stars above. We set up the telescope for the first time. There I stood, slightly bent over, in order to gaze into the eyepiece of the telescope, studying the heavens above. Dad was standing beside me, studying our closest neighborhood planets on a Star Chart. Then, he would point upward, guiding me to each new star and planet that was within telescopic view.

      It was a magical night. The stars sparkled against a dark velvet sky pleading with us to investigate them. There was the scent of lilac in the summer breeze from our lilac plants that grew along the back fence.

      Looking into the night sky, I was transfixed by such a sight! As an adult, now with a better understanding of the distances between planets and the great vastness of space—I am overwhelmed. I have reached the age where I have turned the telescope upside down. Now that telescope is directed from the furthest reaches of the universe, pointed in our direction. Honestly, from that perspective, our planet earth does not even appear in the lens.

      The Palmist asked of God, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? He was as surprised as we are at God’s preoccupation with humanity. There are moments where we barely like each other—how could God even care what happens to us?

      In Genesis chapter six, we see God’s disgust. It even saddened Him that He made man. We can’t blame Him, can we? Man retched with rebellion on his lips, with lust as his holy grail. Man had erected a totem pole to self where his face was chiseled with egocentric carvings to be worshipped. Man rushed headlong into self-worship, despite the witness of Noah. From 500 years of age to the age of 600, Noah was a preacher of righteousness to those in the surrounding communities (2 Peter 2:5 ASV). Was his preaching verbal or just by example? We don’t know. However, I have a gut feeling that he and his family were the brunt of many jokes and provided fodder to feed society’s baser amusements.

      When I read the sixth chapter of Genesis, my thoughts don’t go to God’s wrath—even though it is very evident; I see a Father who is extremely hurt by His creation. He knew this day would come of course. He knew it for the longest of time; some-times, that expectation makes the pain greater.

      In the Garden of Eden, God spoke about the death of His own Son, thousands of years before it ever happened, when God said, and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (Gen. 3:15). Do you think that heightened anticipation made the reality of Jesus’ suffering and death, in real time, worse or better? God, through the successes, failures, and stumbling of mankind would providentially pave the way to His own Son’s execution. I can’t begin to guess at the mixed emotions that produced.

      Even though the people in Noah’s day would represent another spiritual digression for mankind—I see the sixth chapter of Genesis as a testimony to God’s great interest and love for mankind. You can’t get hurt unless you care. The Lord knew this day would come and foresaw it with dread.

      I captured glimpses of this love during my younger years. I was a church kid. Growing up in the environment of the church, you hear a lot of stuff taught, but you don’t remember much of what was said, especially when you are young. But, there was one teaching I remembered. We had a guest teacher on a Sunday night who said that from Genesis to Revelation, it was a love letter from God to man. Man left God at the beginning of earthly human time and God has used 66 books of the Bible, and thousands of years of history to try and win man back.

      I am fascinated, intrigued, and overwhelmed by God’s interest in us. In spite of all the evidence that sheds light on God’s desire for us, we fight it as if it were some fraudulent, heavenly scheme. How could it even be possible that God cares that much? As if we weren’t our own worst enemy, there are religious factions that also want to join in the coup. After the world takes its punches and religious folks have their time in the ring—we feel like a soggy, crushed dish rag, hardly recognizable from the original product.

      Religion can be the greatest detriment to experiencing God’s love. Blood has been shed in the name of religion. Families have been destroyed in the name of religion. Even worse, God’s message of love and forgiveness has been hidden by religion.

      Religion is supposed to be the application of our faith, but it has jumped into the forefront, becoming the vanguard and standard-bearer of our belief system. No longer is it the simple gospel, it is

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