Hello Friends.
I am writing you today about a tragedy I am sure you have heard about: the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school. It's an event that is almost incomprehensible. I try and wrap my mind around what it felt like for the students and teachers to be in that school, and the reality of what happened. I try and understand the evil that was displayed, but it is difficult. To say that 20 children died, seems unreal, and yet I know the reality is shaking the Newtown, CT today as they mourn the loss of the students and teachers who died. It's a mourning that I feel, yet I never met a single person involved.
The most common questions I've seen, read, and heard is "What is our country coming to?" or "How could someone kill babies?" They are questions I've asked myself, but in differing circumstances. I've wondered how we can allow the death of the unborn in our country. I've wondered how we can allow little boys and girls to grow up in broken homes, and not do anything about it. I've wondered how my generation can be one that so much sides with the idea of "change" and yet the changes that are happening in the world leave much to be desired. And yet, people ask "Why would God allow this to happen?" and miss that our country has taken a step away from God. As a whole, our Nation has rejected God and yet they want His help in times of trouble. Friends, God will draw near to you if you draw near to Him.
22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. 24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, 25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, 26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-- 27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. 28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. 29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, 30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
Note I am not saying that the people who died were killed because they didn't know God. I do not believe that at all so please please please know that is not what I am saying. What I am saying is that we reap what we sow. In verse 31 it says that they will eat from the fruit of their ways. We will eat and are eating from the fruit of our ways. As we walk away from the values and standards of God, evil will have more prevalence in our world. We can't reject God, and expect that there will be no consequences to that. Does God do evil? NO. He is perfect and Holy. But He does allow evil as He allows us to have free will and to accept or reject His truth. He could have made us puppets, but He didn't. He gave us a choice and with each choice comes consequences and the consequences of not choosing God is sin and sin ultimately leads to death. The sin of Adam Lanza led to horrible death that is absolutely horrendous. It is by the grace of God that we can have any good in us, and I pray for Adam's family that they would come to know God in this tragedy as I am sure they are just as shocked and confused as we are all as to why this happened. But Christ died for the sin of the world and whoever believes in Him has eternal life, and is reconciled to a relationship with God. There is a culture that has taken over our country and our world that has walked away from God and my heart and my plea is that they will know the Prince of Peace.
The reality is we need God. If Adam had known God, this wouldn't have happened.
This morning as I sat in church and the pastor spoke on our need for God, and the tragic events in our nation, my husband wrote this to me:
"Jesus came to take the old and make it NEW. NEWtown. Sin came into the world through Adam... ADAM Lanza"
He was making a connection from the events that is a story that has repeated itself through history. The death and destruction that come from sin has one cure: Jesus. While this killers name was Adam, it was Adam in the garden that killed our innocence, but Jesus came to be our 2nd Adam and bring us hope. “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:45-49). The first Adam brought us into Sin. The second Adam (Jesus) saved us from sin. Yet the Adam I've been hearing about on the news is one that stole, killed, and destroyed a town of their joy. I find this no coincidence as the bible says that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. So what do we make of all this?
Our world is broken and we need the love of God.
I read a speech by a father from one of the victims of the Columbine shooting this morning that I think puts it beautifully. Guess our national leaders didn’t expect this.
I read a speech by a father from one of the victims of the Columbine shooting this morning that I think puts it beautifully. Guess our national leaders didn’t expect this.
On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.
They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness.. The following is a portion of the transcript:
“Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
“The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.
“In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my daughter’s death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder I would be their strongest opponent
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy — it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.
Your laws ignore our deepest needs, Your words are empty air. You’ve stripped away our heritage, You’ve outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die. You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question “Why?” You regulate restrictive laws, Through legislative creed. And yet you fail to understand, That God is what we need!
“Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation’s history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine’s tragedy occurs —politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
“As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA — I give to you a sincere challenge.. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter’s death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!” - Darrell Scott
Friends. We need God. Our Nation needs God, and in this time of tragedy the only hope in the midst of the incomprehensible Evil is Jesus Christ. I pray that the church would stand up in this time and offer assistance to those grieved, answer questions to those lost, and be the love and light that Christ asked us to be.
Revelation 21:4 says "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
I'm excited for that day. The day when there is no more mourning, and no more crying. no more death and no more pain. Until then We have to trust that God works all things together of the good of those who love Him. The key there is that we must LOVE Him. Friends I pray that if you don't know Him that you will ask questions and at least learn about Him. The message of my God is one of hope not of condemnation and I pray that you will know that message if you don't already.
Nothing can undo the tragedy that has occurred, we can only move forward and allow God to be apart of our lives, and our nation, so that we might see the peace that comes from the Lord.
Friends just remember John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”"
They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness.. The following is a portion of the transcript:
“Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
“The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.
“In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my daughter’s death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder I would be their strongest opponent
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy — it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.
Your laws ignore our deepest needs, Your words are empty air. You’ve stripped away our heritage, You’ve outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die. You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question “Why?” You regulate restrictive laws, Through legislative creed. And yet you fail to understand, That God is what we need!
“Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation’s history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine’s tragedy occurs —politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
“As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA — I give to you a sincere challenge.. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter’s death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!” - Darrell Scott
Friends. We need God. Our Nation needs God, and in this time of tragedy the only hope in the midst of the incomprehensible Evil is Jesus Christ. I pray that the church would stand up in this time and offer assistance to those grieved, answer questions to those lost, and be the love and light that Christ asked us to be.
Revelation 21:4 says "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
I'm excited for that day. The day when there is no more mourning, and no more crying. no more death and no more pain. Until then We have to trust that God works all things together of the good of those who love Him. The key there is that we must LOVE Him. Friends I pray that if you don't know Him that you will ask questions and at least learn about Him. The message of my God is one of hope not of condemnation and I pray that you will know that message if you don't already.
Nothing can undo the tragedy that has occurred, we can only move forward and allow God to be apart of our lives, and our nation, so that we might see the peace that comes from the Lord.
I this song puts it beautifully.
Friends. I'm praying for you. Remember that your God will never forsake you. I'm praying for the families and those affected by this tragedy that the Spirit will comfort and give peace to you. I pray that you will know that God is only good, and He will never leave or forsake you. My heart is broken and sick for what happened. I don't want this to ever happen again and I am praying that God will protect our country and that our country will turn back to Him. The problem is Sin, the Solution is Christ. Fellow Christians lets show people the hope we have. Let's be the church in this tragedy and love and support those in need, and not join in the arguments and fights. Let's simply be light to the world.
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