As I write this, I am sitting at my computer trying to make sense of what has happened in San Bernardino, California. As with many of the things going on in our country and around the world, it simply is beyond normal comprehension.
Yesterday around noon in California, two or three people wearing ski masks broke into an adult developmental center and began shooting. Early reports indicated twelve people killed and a total of twenty injured. Why a facility for handicapped adults? What were they trying to prove? Later we learned they targeted a conference room and that one of the shooters was a woman. Fourteen people were killed and many wounded.
As we deal with these more and more frequent events, we have to ask what this means for all of us and how we respond to such evil?
First, we must call this what it is. It is evil. Whether foreign or home grown terrorists, angry, disaffected young men, or whatever, we need to understand that evil is real. It is satanic, and it is opposed to all that God is and all that He promotes.
Remember to be “in Christ” means that we are people who have clothed ourselves with “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” We are people who accept and forgive one another. Above all else we put on love which is the perfect bond of unity (Colossians 3: 12-15).
Whatever this is, it is not of God. It directly opposes God.
Second, we must fervently pray for awakening and revival in our land. We must pray for the kind of revival that changed the character of America in the First Great Awakening. Only God can heal a land. Let us pray diligently that God will heal our land and bring renewal and awakening among us.
Third, our politics must be unifying and not divisive. We need true statesmen who will speak the truth and lead the nation in righteousness. We must not have those who divide the races or demographics but leaders who exalt God and follow His way.
Fourth, we must fully submit ourselves to God. His will must be done in us individually.
Finally, we must celebrate the hope brought to us when God came to our world at Christmas. This is the only true hope, and the only hope which is lasting. It is time to make Christmas what it truly is.
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4 Responses
Thank you for writing about this. It is not a gun problem as people want to claim, it is a lack of God problem. So many lack God in their hearts and lives. Would we see so many killings if more people had Christ in their lives? I believe this is the root of the problem.
This is so scary. In reality it could be the people right next door. They do not have to look like people from a foreign nation or dressed in a black outfit or shouting a phrase denoting ethnic background or religious beliefs. EVIL has no shape, color or size! You are right Natalie, “IT IS A LACK OF GOD” . We all need to be vigilant and MOST of all –PRAY!
The most powerful way to wage war against this evil is do everything we can to win souls to Christ; personally and collectively. Support the church. Wisely and compassionately encourage people toward Christ. Let His Light shine–don’t be ashamed of the Gospel . Support Christian organizations who are bringing the Gospel into the darkest nations on the planet, i.e. Voice of the Martyrs, Samaritan’s Purse, etc.. Every believer becomes not only safe for humanity, but a blessing to humanity. Now more than ever we must recognize the importance of the Great Commission.
Waylon on the same day of this post The New York Daily News cover read, “God Isn’t Fixing This”.
Mankind continues to reject “God’s Fix, Jesus”.
Evil is overcome when people trust in and surrender to Jesus.