In the 1960’s, Gerald Shur established the Federal Witness Protection Program while he was in the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the United States Department of Justice.
It’s called WITSEC in legalese.
Since then, the program has protected over 8500 witnesses and over 9900 of their family members.
The U.S. Marshals operate the program and are responsible for the witnesses’ security.
Participants are witnesses to crimes and in danger of retaliation from the criminals that they’re giving evidence against.
It’s not an easy task – for the participants or for the Marshals.
You see, the Marshals have to be on constant watch to insure that the criminal’s associates cannot find or access the witnesses.
This is more than a 24 hour job and they must include the case, prior cases, associates, prior associates and any other possible links; both of the witness and the criminal.
However, it’s their job… They understand it… And they’re very good at it.
In fact, that’s all they do.
They are not assigned to any other operations… They live and breathe WITSEC.
On the other hand, this is normal life for the witnesses.
They undergo unimaginable changes to their lives and are compelled to leave everything they knew behind.
First, they find out that they’re in real, imminent danger of death through reprisal.
Then they have to agree to follow every minute detail that the Marshals dictate.
After that, they receive new names, new histories, new “family” stories… New lives.
They have to sever all ties to family and friends that they’ve developed over their lifetimes and can never return to them or their locales.
They must live in a completely different place, work at completely different jobs and incorporate completely different routines and traditions.
Their lives effectively end and they must embrace completely new ones.
Before they can be fully integrated into the program, they must commit themselves to the program and their new future.
They must fully understand what they’re getting into, accept it and embrace it.
On the day that their new lives begin, they are whisked away and the people that they were literally cease to exist… as if they died.
How is this a part of a Sunday sermon?
Acts 1:
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
We are witnesses for God.
As such, we must join His program to receive His protection.
Romans 5:
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
How do we become a part of God’s Witness Protection Program?
John 5:
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Acts 17:
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Matthew 10:
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Mark 16:
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess and…. Be Baptized.
Right now you’re hearing His Word… albeit with some analogies of this world thrown in.
If you’re still sitting down, then you must believe… at least enough to know that it’s true.
If you haven’t left yet, then I’m betting that you’re comparing your life to the life that God wants you to lead… Looking at your sinful ways.
Repent of them – change your heart and mind so you can change your life.
Then, let your voice and heart proclaim that Jesus is the Son of the Living God.
The witnesses in WITSEC go through all the steps and instruction concerning the program…
Then they are required to make a decision and perform one last act before they are accepted.
They must walk away from their lives… They must act!
God requires an act from us as well, before He will accept you into His program.
You must be baptized.
You have to be immersed in the water that symbolizes the burial of your “old life”.
Romans 6:
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The burial cleanses you; through God’s Grace of the evil deeds you committed in your past and connects you to God once you’re purified.
Acts 2:
38 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.
Baptism buries your old life, washes away your sins, purifies you and gives you access to the gift of God.
Then, as you arise from the water, you return as a “new man” – a new identity, a new life.
2 Corinthians 5:
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
It doesn’t stop there. Just as the WITSEC participants, you must continue on in your new life.
You have to disregard, forget and turn away from your old life, completely.
However, UNLIKE the WITSEC participants, you don’t have to live in fear and confusion.
God brings you into His program and protects you, guides you, loves you.
There’s another aspect to consider as well.
Anybody can forget who they are, change their name and move to a different city.
Anybody can do that, but they won’t be under the protection of the U.S. Marshals, unless they’re accepted into the WITSEC.
Likewise, anybody can be good – stop cussing, give to a charity, be nice to people…
That doesn’t mean they’re accepted by God.
John 3:
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
You MUST follow the requirements.
You can’t be a “good person” and receive the benefits of being a child of God.
You can’t get an Eternal Reward without completing everything that God has mandated.
You pretend, you can act like it, you can fake it… But only those that follow and obey God will receive Eternal Life.
Matthew 12:
30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
The way to God lies through obedience… Obedience in all things.
Acts 2:
37 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?
38 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.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Like I said, it doesn’t stop there… There’s much more to do.
But it does START there!
It doesn’t start anywhere else.
You must be accepted into God’s program… His flock, before He will protect you.
If you haven’t yet, you need a new life, a new identity, a new man.
Ephesians 4:
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
What’s the old saying? Come on in, the water’s fine.