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Let me say six things loud and
clear:
First, no one has kicked,
legislated, escorted or otherwise forbidden God from being anywhere. God is as
much in every public school, every courthouse, every public building whether
Federal or State origin as He is in heaven.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I
flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make
my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and
dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and
thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me;
even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but
the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
(Psalm 139:7-12)
There
is no place that God is not. God is everywhere. God is everywhere at all times
and at the same time. God does not have to go anywhere because God is and has
always been there. That includes public schools. That includes public, Federal
or State buildings. God is and was just as present at Sandy Hook Elementary
School as He was present in the heavens.
What
you fail to grasp is that the problem is not that God is not “present” or has
been “kicked out” of many public arenas, it is simply that He is not honored or
reverenced as He demands and deserves. Failing to recognize God as God is not the same as having
the sovereign power to kick Him out of any place.
Second, why do we think God is responsible to prevent or minimize tragedy? The
real tragedy is that we expect God to respond as a “Genie” or as some good luck
charm. We don’t want God to intrude in our lives unless it is to prevent pain,
suffering, or discomfort. God’s role is not merely to keep us from tragedy; at
times it is to orchestrate tragedy. Listen to Amos 3:
“…does disaster come to a city unless the LORD has done
it?” (Amos 3:6b, ESV)
There
are times God in His infinite, Divine, and Sovereign wisdom orchestrates or
permits such things to happen. What kind of God do you think He is? Do you
think He able to show up at our picnics, and birthdays, and pleasant affairs
giving us glittering goodies from a bag of tricks but unable to stop a twenty
two year old from killing twenty six people?
There
is at least one glaring, huge, and spectacular purpose for the events in
Portland Oregon and Newtown, Connecticut. We find that purpose couched in the
words of Jesus in Luke 13: 1-5:
“There were some
present at that very tine who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate
had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, ‘Do you think that
these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they
suffered in this way? No, I tell you; unless you repent, you will all likewise
perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them; do
you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?
No, I tell; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.’” (Luke 13:1-5, ESV)
Some
of you will say, “Well, if that is God’s attitude then we don’t want anything
to do with a God like that!” This is why
you make no room for God nor honor Him as God most of your lives, yet when tragedy
strikes you want to know where He was.
Third, there are no “innocents.” No one is innocent, no not one. Children are
no more innocent than you or I. They are born with a depraved and sinful nature.
There are some who believe that God’s grace extends in some manner to children
and exculpates them from the penalty of their sin. There is no such thing as an
age of accountability. All are accountable to God as all have been born into
Adam’s race with guilt, sin, and are spiritually dead. Although I have no scripture
to offer, I truly trust in the wisdom, grace, mercy, and glory of God which
would cause Him to exculpate children who die or are killed.
I
cannot give a biblical passage to any of the grieving parents, relatives, or
friends of the children killed in these shootings. I can only say trust God to
act in full accordance of His Holy, Righteous, Divine, and glorious character
and nature believing that whatever God does is righteous. See Psalms 97 - there is certainly clouds and "thick darkness around God and what He does at times"; but our confidence comes in the fact that the foundation of God's sovereign rule is righteousness and justice. That means God never does anything wrong. God never makes a mistake or acts unjustly.
Fourth,
it is
incredulous and incongruent if not preposterous to think that a nation can
disregard and dishonor God as the United States has done and not see the fruit of
such actions. The United States is reaping what it has sown. This nation has
chosen to ignore God and His Word and to live according to the despicable
dictates of the flesh.
“Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:4)
My
friend, you cannot place your hand in a viper’s pit and expect not to be bitten
by a deadly snake. You cannot expect to reject God’s law, live as sinfully and
sensually as you wish and not expect consequences.
This
nation has been extremely successful in changing wrong into right, into
relieving everyone and anyone of all responsibility, and has excused bad behavior.
This nation has turned from the Light of this world and chosen to remain in the
darkness that it so loves.
My
friend, it will only get worse. You can say “God bless America” until you are
blue in the face, but God has answered. He has ceased blessing us with
bountiful blessings. This nation has always, like any other nation, been
preserved by the salt of believers and the influence of the Holy Spirit. This
nation is a rotten, decaying, stinking piece of meat that is being preserved by
the presence of believers during this age. As fewer people are being saved and
as believers die the effectiveness of this preservation of this rotting carcass
is becoming less effective.
Sixth, Sixth, we must reach out and
become the hands, the feet, the mouth, and the heart of Jesus to those who have
been viciously devastated in places like Portland or Newtown and demonstrate
the love of Christ. We must witness to the resurrection power of God through
Christ to those who are hurting. We must weep with those who weep. Those of us
who know Christ need to help in every way we can. However, that help must be real
and substantive not symbolic through silly and mindless pictures, poems, and
unbiblical principles. Christians, don't show your ignorance. Show your compassion with wisdom by showing the true Christ of the Bible.
5 comments:
Amen, Gregg! I said some of the same things to a relative and got lam-blasted as a basher of the US. But, I know the Lord has already won the battle!
Very good thoughts. I think we have to be careful with number three. While it's true, in the midst of a tragedy it may not be the best time to forcefully state it. Still, there will be no real change until we wake up are realize these things.
Amen on number six especially - this is how we make use of the opportunities God affords us, as the partakers of the only true hope in this world.
Amen I agree with all and it needs to be said so the whole world can here. that means every beleiver saying it.
Amen Gregg I great post well written.
Yvonne.
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