ANOTHER SHOOTING, THIS TIME IN A CHURCH. IS THIS A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME? PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH?
Recently in the news, I heard the reports of a man, walking in to a church, I believe during a prayer service, pulling out a gun, and shooting several people. When he finished, I believe he killed himself, or maybe he was captured.
Several people died, in this latest attack, that I know, will bring out the lobby against guns.
But, that is not what I want to address. What I want to address, is what seems to be a growing trend, following on several other shootings, and other criminal acts that make one believe that there is a conspiracy in the works.
Recently we had the shootings at Columbine, then there was another shooting some time earlier in another school, now we have this happening in a church.
What links all of these things together?? The fact that in each instance, the perpetrators, were going after Christians.
In the one school shooting, the shooter killed several students, that were standing in the hall, having prayer. In Columbine, it was not reported, but the two shooters in that case, were looking for Christians, as evidenced by them asking several students, before they shot them, 'Do you believe in God?'
Now, we have the ultimate. Someone walking in to a church, and randomly killing several people, during a prayer service.
These attacks, are taking on a whole different look, from being random, to being focused on one segment in our population, and that is Christians, the church.
Before these types of shootings, last year we had what appeared to be racially motivated church arsons, where it appeared that 'black churches' were being burned down. Now while this was making headlines, as the number of 'black churches' burned,
was about 40, during that same time, other churches were being burned down.
All totaled, the number came to over 200, for the year, which leads you to believe that there is some underlying cause here. No mosques were burned, very few if any synagogues were burned down, just churches.
Could these events, be a sign of things to come?? As is, the Church, has always been the target of those that resent what it stands for.
The Church, represents God, through Jesus Christ. It represents, to some, the conviction that what they may be involved in, is going to cause them to go to hell, and they don't like it.
It represents moral standards, that, though man may legislate them out of his sight, never change, because God doesn't.
It puts guilt on those that want to feel that they, are there own god.
When I used to be out, doing 'my thing', the last thing I wanted around me, was a preacher, telling me about sinning, and going to hell. I would get as far away from them as possible.
But, today, people see that running from preachers is no good, because you can't hide from God, so they have decided to go on the attack physically, through violence.
None of what I am saying, comes as a suprise to believers, because Jesus said it would happen.
The Church, has been warned by Christ that persecution, was inevitable. He told His disciples that, 'If they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you.' This persecution, has no bounds, which means, it could very well cost you your life. In another scripture, Jesus says, 'who ever saves his life shall lose it, but who ever loses his life for My sake, shall find it.' So, the warning is there, and it is clear.
When I think about Columbine, and the young lady that witnesses said, answered 'yes' to the young man that
asked her just before he shot her, 'Do you believe in God', I can see her now, sitting in Heaven, because she died a martyr's death, because she would not deny Jesus Christ, even knowing, that if she had said 'no', she would probably still be alive today.
''THAT WAS DUMB', you might say, but, it would have been dumber, is she had said 'no', and got shot anyway. Then she would be standing before God, having as her last work in life, being one that rejected Christ. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes.
What would you have done in that situation??? Some of you would have been acting just like Peter, denying you ever knew Him. That young lady, had a lot more spiritual strength, than most Christians I know. She is a roll model on a par with the apostles, for that one last confession.
Anyway, all Christians, are under attack, whether you know it or not. And the devil, is the architect of it.
These people that do these things, though seeming to be mean and evil, are actually under the influence of the devil. I am not talking demon possession here, but rather influence. He talks to them, and makes them believe that they are doing something that is good. When we hear about the 'religious right' trying to tear down society, with out of date morality, and not compromising on things like abortion, capital punishment and just plain character, then that alone, sets them up for ridicule or worse.
Compromise. There is a lot of that going on today, and unfortunately, it has crept in to the churches. We can see Christians, compromising all over the place. They compromise on abortion. They compromise on gambling. They compromise on gay rights. They compromise on the character of politicians that they elect. They want to be looked on as 'politically correct.' However, such compromise, comes with a heavy price. That price, is the loss of your soul. When you compromise on God's Word, you are saying that God didn't mean it to be that straight, and narrow minded. That means you are saying that God, is just like us, double minded. Saying one thing, one minute, and another thing the next.
Since we are His representatives, on earth, then whatever we do, reflects on Him.
But, the good thing is, that the more the attacks increase, the closer we get to the time when He will take the Church out of the world. We that are in the know (the saints), can rest assured that this will happen.
So, we need to be prepared, just like that young lady was, so if, it comes to that, for one of us, we will be able to say, 'Yes, I believe in Jesus Christ.'
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OCTOBER 1999
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