Bullets in the Sanctuary”

C H O F Ministry: Advancing God’s Kingdom Through Innovative Education and Transformation. Praise the Lord, Family! You know,  we live in a time when sacred spaces are being pierced by profane violence. Sanctuaries once thought untouchable; houses of worship filled with prayer, praise, and peace, are now violated by the sound of gunshots. The very altar where lives are surrendered to Christ has, in too many places, become a crime scene. But make no mistake, beloved. Though bullets may shatter the silence of stained glass, the Word of God cannot be silenced. 🕊️ “When violence storms God’s house, His voice still thunders louder.” — Bishop W. F. Houston Jr. Psalm 46:1 (KJV) says: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” 📖 The Hebrew word for refuge in this text is מַחֲסֶה (machseh). It means not just “a hiding place,” but a secure shelter; a fortress that cannot be penetrated. David declares that no weapon, no war, and no wickedness can rob God’s people of safety when they are sheltered in Him. Today, when bullets find their way into churches, schools, and sanctuaries, we must remember that our ultimate safety isn’t in bricks or bodyguards, it is in machseh, the God who is our indestructible refuge. 🛡️Maybe you’ve watched the news in horror. Maybe you’ve lost loved ones to the plague of gun violence. Maybe you’ve sat in a pew and wondered if even worship is safe anymore. Beloved, I want to tell you this: evil may fire bullets, but it cannot kill the Church or God’s inspired ministry. Guns may shatter timber and glass, but they cannot shatter the Gospel. God calls us to rise with faith, not fear, in this violent world. And practically, this means we also become advocates of life. We defend the innocent, we work for peace, and we build sanctuaries inside hearts that can never be invaded. A building may be breached, but a Spirit-filled soul is unbreakable. 🕯️

So, when the threats come and when violence rages, remember the headline of Heaven is not bullets, but resurrection. When the sanctuary sounds like a battlefield, it is not the end; it is the place where faith defies fear and declares, “God is my refuge. God is my strength. God is my fortress.” ✝️ 🙌🏾 Let Us Go Into The Throne Room of Grace and Mercy. Father, we lift every community torn by gunfire, every family mourning a life cut short, every house of worship distorted by violence. Shelter them in Your arms, Lord. Be their machseh, their refuge and fortress. Heal our broken land. Soften hardened hearts that pull triggers, and raise righteous hearts that will stand for peace. Give Your Church courage to rise above fear, and wisdom to move as beacons of refuge in a violent age. 🕊️To God Be The Glory! May the God of refuge steady your heart and send you as a shelter to others today. 🕊️  C H O F Ministry: Advancing God’s Kingdom Through Innovative Education and Transformation. ✨ #CHOFMinistry #WisdomWhispers #KingdomHealing #OvercomingBetrayal #ToGodBeTheGlory  Copyright © 2025, C H O F Ministry. All rights reserved.Original content by Bishop W. F. Houston Jr.. for C H O F Ministry.